[Vision2020] Good News: Scientific Consultations under the Endangered Species Act Restored

Ted Moffett starbliss at gmail.com
Wed Apr 29 10:47:44 PDT 2009


http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2009/20090428_esa.html
 Salazar and Locke Restore Scientific Consultations under the Endangered
Species Act to Protect Species and their Habitats

April 28, 2009

Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar
today announced that the two departments are revoking an eleventh-hour Bush
administration rule that undermined Endangered Species
Act<http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/pdfs/laws/esa.pdf>(ESA) protections.
Their decision requires federal agencies to once again
consult with federal wildlife experts at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service<http://www.fws.gov/>and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration – the two agencies
that administer the ESA – before taking any action that may affect
threatened or endangered species.

“By rolling back this 11th hour regulation, we are ensuring that threatened
and endangered species continue to receive the full protection of the law,”
Salazar said. “Because science must serve as the foundation for decisions we
make, federal agencies proposing to take actions that might affect
threatened and endangered species will once again have to consult with
biologists at the two departments.”

“For decades, the Endangered Species Act has protected threatened species
and their habitats,” said Commerce Secretary Gary Locke. “Our decision
affirms the Administration’s commitment to sound science to promote
conservation and protect the environment.”

In March, President Obama directed the Secretaries to review the previous
Administration’s Section 7 regulation of the ESA – which governs interagency
consultation – and Congress, in the 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act,
specifically authorized the Secretaries to revoke the regulation.

Locke and Salazar said the two departments will conduct a joint review of
the 1986 consultation regulations to determine if any improvements should be
proposed.

The Endangered Species Act was signed into law in 1973 to protect imperiled
species from extinction, as well as conserve the ecosystems and habitats
necessary for their survival.

NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth's environment, from the
depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our
coastal and marine resources.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works to conserve, protect and enhance
fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the
American people. It is a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife
conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and
natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service.


------------------------------------------

Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/attachments/20090429/357f6172/attachment.html 


More information about the Vision2020 mailing list