Stop Bush's Cuts to the Endangered Species Act
- al: Sierra Club
- destinatario: President-Elect Barack Obama
All year long, we've been worried that last minute plans by the Bush Administration that would undermine the integrity of the Endangered Species Act.
Well, they've finally done it. The Bush Administration enacted a last-minute ruling, which cuts U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service scientists out of the review process for determining if new mining, logging and construction projects pose a threat to endangered animals. What this really means is that political appointees, not scientists, will determine what poses a risk to endangered animals.
The threat to our wildlife could not be greater. We need your support right now to help make sure this ruling is NEVER implemented.
Dear President-Elect Obama,
I am writing to express my concern about the Bush Administration's 11th hour attempts to strip the Endangered Species Act.
Under the new regulations, federal agencies involved with projects such as new highways, bridges, dams and airports can self-regulate to determine the threats posed to imperiled wildlife, a move that poses grave threats to wildlife. These agencies not only lack the expertise to determine whether federal projects poses a threat to endangered wildlife, they have a built-in conflict of interest.
And to add insult to injury, the new ruling also prohibits the Act from protecting animals affected by global warming, such as the polar bear and the walrus.
I urge you to restore the Endangered Species Act, thus ensuring that our most vulnerable species will continue to receive the protection they deserve.
