please hold as you go extinct..

September 30, 2004

Bush administration puts Forest Service wildlife protections on hold

The Bush administration issued a temporary rule yesterday suspending

strict wildlife protections used by national forest managers since

1982. That year, the Reagan administration instructed forest

managers in the U.S. Forest Service to maintain " viable populations "

of fish and wildlife. Since then, the viability rule has been the

basis of several lawsuits forcing the agency to cut back on logging;

it is, said Andy Stahl of Forest Service Employees for Environmental

Ethics, the agency's " only rule protecting wildlife. " The new

temporary rule instructs forest managers that the old rule is " not in

effect, " though they may still follow it if they so desire.

Administration officials did not say when a final ruling will be

made, but many enviros view the temporary rule as a harbinger of

similarly grim things to come.

straight to the source: Los Angeles Times, Bettina Boxall, 30 Sep 2004

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