Bush Administration Launching Sneak Attack on Endangered Species Act
This news just broke:
WASHINGTON - Parts of the Endangered Species Act may soon be extinct. The Bush administration wants federal agencies to decide for themselves whether highways, dams, mines and other construction proje cts might harm endangered animals and plants...
If approved, the changes would represent the biggest overhaul of the Endangered Species Act since 1988. They would accomplish through regulations what conservative Republicans have been unable to achieve in Congress: ending some environmental reviews that developers and other federal agencies blame for delays and cost increases on many projects.
The National Wildlife Federation is already pledging to fight hard to protect the Endangered Species Act:
"I have been working on the Endangered Species Act for 15 years and have never seen such a sneaky attack," said John Kostyack, Executive Director of Wildlife Conservation and Global Warming at the National Wildlife Federation. "To suggest that our nation's most important wildlife law could be gutted after a mere 60 day written comment period is the height of arrogance and disrespect for wildlife science. Elected officials have been saying no to proposals like this for 15 years.
"Do not be fooled when the Administration claims it is merely tweaking the law," said Kostyack. "The cumulative impact of these changes equals a full blown attack on America's premier conservation law. We owe it to future generations to stop this attack and continue our legacy of protecting wildlife on the brink of extinction."
You can help protect the Endangered Species Act! Contact Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne right now and let him know you won't stand for any weakening of endangered species protections.
You have already set this country back 35 -40 years, in our endevors to save animal species. Must you go on tearing down until you are gone, taking how many animals with you?
Posted by: Margaret Nejedly | August 13, 2008 at 01:19 AM
The legal action the National Wildlife Federation has taken for political purposes [NWF vs. USDA, Case # CV08-1004-JCC] is endangering the wildlife that this organization should be protecting. This legal action to stop the emergency grazing of CRP land will encourage farmers to terminate their CRP contracts and adopt long-term farming practices that will eliminate wildlife habitat. In addition the pressure of high food prices will encourage people to slaughter wildlife to feed their families. A strong relationship can be demonstrated between wildlife decline and economic stress in our society.
Does the National Wildlife Federation want to promote the return of wildlife slaughter that characterized the period of the 1930's?
Posted by: Clarence Funk | August 13, 2008 at 08:13 AM
We have all witnessed the most evil and corrupt Presidential administration in history. No polite society should ever allow Bush and Cheney to be a part of it. Congress has allowed this to happen by not performing their constitutional oversight role and responsibilities. Vote out all the incumbents regardless of your political party.
Posted by: Pat K | August 17, 2008 at 01:16 PM
what???????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! r u kidding me?????????!!!!!!! is this dumb western seriously trying to do this?! y? i dont understand whats the point?! oh wait i know- just so the oil freaks- bush and his administration can get all the MONEY in the world. thats all this world is about right- only and always about money right? bush and his poeple dont care about any other living thing on this earth except themselves and their money. that goes the same for all the corrupt big companies and people like the FDA and the oil companies and A LOT if not, all politicians (except AL GORE) ETC., ETC., ETC. the list just goes on and on. PLEASE NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION- FIGHT ALL THE BUSH HEADS AND ALL OTHER IDIOTS LIKE THEM!!! Why dont you guys team up with ALL the enviromental organizations like GREEN PEACE, WWF etc. there's so many so just do it!! ALLL OF WILDLIFE IS IN DANGER- THEY NEED YOU GUYS ANYONE THAT CAN HELP- DONT LET THIS HAPPEN- YOU R HUMANS TOO AND DESERVE THE RIGHT TO TALK YOUR MIND AND SAY WHATEVER YOU WANT- bush isnt the only human on this earth even though he likes to think so. ANIMALS CANT SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES- THEY CANT DEFEND THEMSELVES FROM EVIL DEVIL WORSHIPERS LIKE BUSH- YOU GUYS CAN SPEAK FOR THEM SO PLEASE FIGHT FOR THE ANIMALS RIGHTS. Its so sad and bad that in this world humans r at the top of the food chain. i know you know what i mean. we destroy ALL LIVING THINGS ON THIS EARTH ALL FOR THE LOVE AND WANTING OF MONEY!!!!!!! WELL at least wen JESUS comes and the world ends, we KNOW whos going to HELL. MORE TREES-LESS BUSH. Live in harmony with nature stop acting against it, KL.
Posted by: KL | August 25, 2008 at 07:41 PM
The actions of this sector of government underline where their true priorities are. It seems in this day in age, which has been the case for a long time, oil trumps everything.
Gosh, it is amazing the lack of understanding, our care for, the fundamental systems of our planet. Once again, economic interests and "progress" are exhibiting reckless abandon. Does no one realize the importance of our ecosystems? Does anyone in our government care that every species, no matter how small, is intricately weaved into the web of life of the planet. One species goes, another one becomes overpopulated, and the whole world becomes one step further out of balance.
It is ever more disappointing to hear the raucous chants of "drill baby drill" in large political crowds, fueled by the belief of potential new leaders, one of which has taken the lead on suing the federal government over the listing of the polar bear as endangered because the polar bear, and all the experts and wildlife biologists, who do know what they are talking about, are standing in the way. The polar bears are on the top of the food chain in their ecosystem. If they do become extinct one day, or critically endangered, then think about the long term effects of that.
But that's the point - the people in charge aren't thinking about that. Or do they even know, or even care?
That's why organizations and sites like this are so important. Although it seems like such an uphill battle, every new voice that is heard is one more step in the right direction of logic and progress toward a heightened awareness of the realities, and opportunities, that we must face. Now is the time.
Posted by: JasonB | September 11, 2008 at 01:39 AM