Obama shelving Bush rule that weakened species protection

Obama to shelve Bush species rule, sources say
Critics say rule weakened protections for endangered animals, plants
Species like the spotted owl are at the center of a battle over a Bush-era wildlife rule. The spotted owl was declared a threatened species in 1990 due primarily to logging in old growth forests across the Northwest.
updated 2 hours, 2 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama was set to make a speech Tuesday at the Interior Department, where sources said he would shelve a Bush-era rule that critics say weakened protections for threatened and endangered species.

In December, the Bush administration finalized regulations that allow agencies to decide for themselves whether highways, dams, mines and other construction projects might harm animals and plants listed under the Endangered Species Act.

The Bush-era rule reduces the mandatory, independent reviews government scientists have performed for 35 years. It also prohibits federal agencies from assessing a project's contribution to global warming when they evaluate its effect on species.

The Bush administration argued its rule would streamline development requests without harming wildlife.

Presidential memo expected
Administration sources said Obama will sign a presidential memorandum to put on hold the regulation until the Interior and Commerce departments complete a review of it.

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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29490531
god, stuff like this is satisfying

My kitteh says so too. So does the lizard she brought me on Sunday. Twice.

but there is NO recovery from the damage done.

You can only clear-cut an old growth forest once. And planting saplings in its place does not restore the ecosystem.

Every time they get in power, they destroy something else which is irreplaceable.

but these are new rules that bush tried to slide by in December, and they haven't done any harm yet as they weren't enacted.

I just wish it wasn't always so necessary.