The Bush Administration plans to rollback protections for America’s imperiled wildlife by re-writing the regulations of the Endangered Species Act. According to leaked documents obtained by the National Wildlife Federation, the proposed changes would weaken the safety net of habitat protections that have helped protect and recover endangered fish, wildlife, and plants for the past 35 years.

The draft rules would also bar federal agencies from assessing the global warming pollution emissions from projects that contribute to global warming.

“Do not be fooled when the Administration claims it is merely tweaking the law,” said John Kostyack, Executive Director of Wildlife Conservation and Global Warming at the National Wildlife Federation. “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.”

Despite strong public support for the Endangered Species Act, the Bush Administration is moving forward in its waning months to weaken the law's key safeguards. The proposed changes target the Endangered Species Act’s consultation process, which serves as the main safety net for species on the brink by allowing scientists with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to determine if listed species will be harmed before moving forward with activities such as logging, mining or filling of wetlands.  The proposed regulations, which don't require the approval of Congress, would reduce both the formal and informal independent consultations government scientists have been performing since the Endangered Species Act was signed into law.

"The Administration’s attempt to package these changes as a response to global warming simply adds insult to the injury that climate change already causes to endangered species," said Kostyack.