Scientific Consultations Under Endangered Species Act Restored
Restored
scientific consultations endangered species act restore
Scientific Consultations Under Endangered Species Act <m> Restored </m>
http : / / www . ens - newswire . com / ens / apr2009 / 2009 - 04 - 28 - 091 . asp
Scientific Consultations Under Endangered Species Act <m> Restored </m>
WASHINGTON , DC , April 28 , 2009
The Obama administration today revoked an eleventh - hour Bush - era rule that undermined protections for plants and animals listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act .
Passed in January 2009 , the Bush - era rule lifted the requirement that federal agencies consult wildlife experts with the U . S . Fish and Wildlife Service or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration before taking actions that could harm listed species .
The Bush move allowed federal agencies to decide for themselves if their own projects , such as roads , dams and mines , would hurt species .
Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar , who head the two agencies that administer the Endangered Species Act , said their decision to again require consultation before action is based on sound science .
"By rolling back this 11th hour regulation , we are ensuring that threatened and endangered species continue to receive the full protection of the law , " Salazar said .
"Because science must serve as the foundation for decisions we make , federal agencies proposing to take actions that might affect threatened and endangered species will once again have to consult with biologists at the two departments , " he said .
"For decades , the Endangered Species Act has protected threatened species and their habitats , " said Locke .
"Our decision affirms the administration's commitment to using sound science to promote conservation and protect the environment . "
In March , President Barack Obama directed the secretaries to review the previous administration's Section 7 regulation of the Endangered Species Act , which governs interagency consultation .
Congress , in the 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act , specifically authorized the secretaries to revoke the regulation .
Locke and Salazar said the two departments will conduct a joint review of the 1986 consultation regulations that are now once again in effect to determine if any improvements should be proposed .
The Endangered Species Act was signed into law in 1973 to protect imperiled species from extinction , as well as conserve the ecosystems and habitats necessary for their survival .
Today there are 1 , 009 species in the United States listed as endangered under the Act - 409 animals and 600 plants .
An additional 162 animals and 146 plants are listed as threatened .
Environmentalists and scientists who had lobbied against making consultation discretionary were pleased with the decision .
Betsy Loyless , National Audubon Society senior vice president for advocacy and policy , said , "The Obama administration has given a great gift to wildlife and to future generations .
Once again , our nation will follow the letter of the law and the advice of its own best experts before jeopardizing the future of threatened and endangered species . "
The decision comes as President Obama prepares to mark his first 100 days in office on Wednesday .
Loyless said , "The President has capped his first hundred days with a serious step toward restoring our commitment to this nation's great natural heritage . "
Last Friday , 1 , 300 biologists and three scientific societies representing some 20 , 000 scientists - The Ornithological Council , Society for Conservation Biology and the Wildlife Society - sent separate letters to the Interior and Commerce departments urging them to overturn the last - minute Bush rule change .
"Many federal agencies do not have the scientific expertise to determine the consequences of federal projects on endangered species and may have vested interests in the implementation of a project , " said Stuart Pimm , Doris Duke Professor of Conservation Ecology at Duke University , who helped organize the scientists' letter .
Pimm said the Bush rule excluded from the process expert scientists who for decades have provided impartial review and critical analysis of proposed projects .
Alan Thornhill , an ecologist and executive director of the Society for Conservation Biology , said , "As the threats we face continue to evolve , federal scientists must be able to evaluate their consequences for imperiled species .
Putting boundaries on the science that informs the Endangered Species Act fundamentally undermines the ability of science and scientists to protect our nation's biodiversity . "
"Politics plays a huge role in such decisions , " said Michael Hutchins , executive director and chief executive of The Wildlife Society .
"Expert review and oversight are critical . "
Francesca Grifo , director of Union of Concerned Scientists' Scientific Integrity Program , said lifting the requirement for consultation was one of a number of ways the Bush administration weakened the Act , and more work remains to be done .
"Several last - minute Bush administration regulatory changes have undermined the scientific foundation of the Endangered Species Act , and today the Obama administration has begun to repair the damage , " she said .
"The message from tens of thousands of scientists around the country is clear - these unwarranted changes fundamentally undermine our ability to protect imperiled plants and animals . "
"Today , the Obama administration restored critical checks and balances to protect our nation's biodiversity , " said Grifo .
"But there is much more to be done .
The Obama administration must thoroughly review how science is used to ensure that our nation's imperiled species have a chance to survive - and thrive . "