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<p class=pagename><b><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:windowtext;
font-weight:normal'>FYI, Carolyn Marsh<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=pagename><b><font size=3 color="#27658e" face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";font-weight:normal'><a
href="http://www.audubon.org/campaign/esa/newthreat.html">http://www.audubon.org/campaign/esa/newthreat.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=pagename><b><font size=4 color="#27658e" face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:13.0pt'>Bush Administration Launches Assault on Endangered
Species Act in Its Closing Days<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:8.5pt;
font-family:Verdana'>Federal agencies would no longer have to consult with
wildlife scientists prior to launching projects if they decide the projects
will have no effect on endangered species under regulations proposed by the
Bush administration. Audubon strongly opposes the plan because allowing
agencies to do 'self-consultations' amounts to putting the foxes in charge of
the henhouse. The proposed rule changes disregard crucial scientific opinions
and put endangered species at even greater risk. <br>
<br>
This proposal is the most significant, detrimental change to the Endangered
Species Act (ESA) in years. Consultations with Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)
often expand project concentration to consider nearby habitat and long-term
effects. The proposal was subjected to a 60-day comment period, after it was
published in the Federal Register. On October 14, 2008, Audubon filed comments
with the Department of Interior protesting the changes to the regulations.
Audubon alerted its grassroots activists, who submitted thousands of comments
condemning the proposal. Despite the effort, the administration is planning to
finalize the plan before departing in January 2009. <br>
<br>
The strongest federal safeguard against the extinction of bird species in the <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region>
is the ESA. Enacted in 1973, the ESA has helped save some of <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">America</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s most
critically imperiled birds and wildlife and their critical habitats, including
species like the Bald Eagle, the Peregrine Falcon, the gray wolf, the grizzly
bear, and the Whooping Crane. <br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.audubon.org/campaign/esa/doc/FINAL_ESAcomments_Audubon.pdf"
target="_blank"><font color="#007700"><span style='color:#007700'>Read
Audubon's comments.</span></font></a> </span></font><span class=photocaption1><font
size=1 color="#999999" face=Verdana><span style='font-size:7.0pt'>(85kb Adobe
PDF)</span></font></span><font size=1 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:8.5pt;
font-family:Verdana'><br>
<a href="http://web1.audubon.org/news/pressRelease.php?id=800"><font
color="#007700"><span style='color:#007700'>Read our press release.</span></font></a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>http://www.audubon.org/campaign/esa/newthreat.html<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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