Bush Endangered/Threatened Protection Rate - 8 Species/Year (Clinton: 65, Bush I: 58) - CBD

[hatrack]

“This review is the last page in a dark chapter for endangered species," said Noah Greenwald, biodiversity program director for the Center for Biological Diversity. “The Bush administration has achieved the worst track record protecting endangered species since the landmark law was passed."

To date, the Administration has protected a mere 61 species, for a rate of less than eight species per year. This compares to 522 protected under the Clinton administration, a rate of 65 species per year; and 231 species protected under the George H.W. Bush administration, a rate of 58 species per year. The low rate of listing under the George W. Bush administration occurred despite a budget for the listing of species that has risen from just over $3 million in 2002 to more than $8 million in 2008. During his two-and-a-half-year tenure, Secretary of Interior Dirk Kempthorne has overseen the listing of just one species — the polar bear. “Secretary Kempthorne surpasses even James Watt as the most anti-environmental Secretary of Interior in history," Greenwald said.

Besides delaying protection for hundreds of species, the Secretary is rushing through “midnight regulations" — proposed in the final weeks of the Administration — that would gut key protections for endangered species, open up millions of acres of public land for oil-shale development, and loosen rules on uranium mining to open areas near the Grand Canyon and elsewhere.

“We are counting down the final days of the Bush administration with bated breath," said Greenwald. “And we are looking forward to working with a far more environmentally friendly Obama administration to undo these terrible regulations and finally obtain protection for the 251 candidate species within a reasonable timeframe."

EDIT

http://www.enn.com/press_releases/2755?title=bush_administration_issues_final_list_of_candidates_for_protection_as_endangered_species

[Jamastiene]

1. I hope every species that needs protection gets it under Obama.

Those numbers are just staggering.

[Rhiannon12866]

2. K&R. This is just unconscionable!

But he really doesn't care. Nor does he care about the environment. He sees no need to preserve this planet for future generations because he doesn't think there'll be any. He expects The Rapture anytime soon when all the true believers will be hoovered up, so why should he care? :grr:

BTW, I heard this from RFK Jr. :-)