Apparently the Bush administration is considering administrative changes to the Endangered Species Act. I haven't been able to find a copy of the 113-page report referred to in the April 2nd issue of the Bend Bulletin. but according to a representative of an Oregon conservation group quoted in the article, “proposal would sharply limit the number of species that qualify as threatened or endangered.” Although “[a] spokesman for the Fish and Wildlife Service said the leaked report was written early last year and was never intended to be made public,” the editorial page of the Daily Astorian titles its editorial “Wait! There's more” and begins with this paragraph:
With a depressing 659 days to go before the next presidential inauguration on Jan. 20, 2009, the Bush administration is busily attempting to shred the Endangered Species Act as a parting gift to the club of corporate oligarchs to which the president and so many of his appointees belong.
If I can find a copy of the report or more concrete references to it, I'll post a follow up. I should point out that as of 8:35am EDT a search of the Portland Oregonian's site with the phrase “endangered species” didn't turn up any articles related to this story.
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