<< I wouldn't blame Bush for this one. The USFWS has a self-imposed
moratorium --
begun under the Clinton Administration -- on new listings until September
2001.
USFWS says it is tied up in so many lawsuits over Critical Habitat
designations
that it doesn't have the time or manpower to propose or list new species.
Conservationits argue that this is just a political move on the agency's
part,
and that it has intentionally under-budgeted its endangered species programs.
(My guess is, the truth lies somewhere in the middle). >>
I'll have to say that I'm close to quite a few USFWS people in charge of
federal listings. They are very frustrated over these suits. I'm frustrated
over these suits! They're certainly not doing any good for the animals
involved! It has literally tied up so much of the available listing funds (as
well as all of the time of the agency personnel) that they couldn't proceed
with listings (except under extreme emergency situations) if they wanted to.
This is also taking away funds for the already strapped recovery programs!
Sometimes environmental groups shoot themselves in the foot over the
stupidest things! In this case, I don't think they're thinking about the
critters involved!
J.R.
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