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Endangered species law could be altered; Conservationists decry proposed changes to act

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on September 29, 2008 at 9:15 am

Coming to you this morning from a McDonald’s in Goleta, with minutes just left on my Wayport Access, here’s an article from Stockton’s Record:

A crashing Delta ecosystem suggests that now is not a good time to tweak the Endangered Species Act, conservationists argue. But federal officials are proposing the first changes in two decades. In a plan up for public comment, the Bush administration wants to grant federal agencies the power to sometimes decide themselves whether a project, such as building a bridge, is likely to harm threatened or endangered species.

Normally those agencies consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Skipping that step would cut down on paperwork and speed up the process.

It would also speed up the demise of animals, birds, fish and plants, the environmentalists say.
“Many aspects of how and when and how much water is moved through the Delta, as well as pollutants that are discharged into the Delta … might very well no longer be covered” by the Endangered Species Act, warned Chris Shutes of the Stockton-based California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, in written comments submitted to the federal Department of Interior.

Read more from Stockton’s Record by clicking here.

September 29, 2008 · Filed Under Endangered Species & Wildlife

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