endangered species act

The Midnight De-Regulation Express

It’s a Washington tradition. Outgoing administrations try to ram through a slew of new federal regulations. But the Bush administration has expanded on this, seeking to push through at least 90 changes that can affect the health and safety of millions. Here are five examples.

Streamlining Endangered Species Rules Might Be Illegal

Andrew Wetzler, head of the Natural Resources Defense Council’s endangered species project, has been blogging today about the Bush administration’s attempt to rush through new rules that could overhaul the Endangered Species Act. In one post, Wetzler argues that the White House’s actions could be illegal.

200,000 Letters In 32 Hours?

In what looks like an effort to rush through proposed rules to overhaul the Endangered Species Act, the Interior Dept. has said it plans on reviewing 200,000 public comments in just 32 hours, according to The Associated Press.
The agency actually received a total of 300,000 comments, but says 100,000 of those were form letters.

Conservation Groups Not Letting Bush’s Endangered Species Act Go Unnoticed

This is at least the fourth time I’ve heard someone refer to the Bush administration’s proposed regulation on the Endangered Species Act as the “fox guarding the henhouse.”
It’s not just because endangered-species workers love animal analogies. It’s because the new rule gives government agencies the power, sans oversight, to decide for themselves whether their own [...]

But What About Endangered Species?

The public comment period on the Bush administration’s proposed rules to overhaul the Endangered Species Act is still open — but only until Sept. 15.
With the conventions, the first African-American to receive a major party’s nomination, Sen. John McCain’s pick of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and Hurricane Gustav, there is reason to believe that the [...]

Weirdest Endangered Species

Web Ecoist showcases “20 of the World’s Weirdest Endangered Species” today with some fantastic photos of such exotic creatures as the Solenodon (not a dinosaur) and the world’s rarest parrot called the Kakapo. If the Bush administration has its way, the Endangered Species Act will be rendered useless, potentially dooming these animals. If you [...]