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species must have its habitat protected through critical habitat designation," said Andrew Wetzler, Senior Attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council. "If the Bush Administration tries to get around this clear legal requirement the environmental community is more than ready to use the courts to stop them."
A background memo on this issue is available on the Center for Biological Diversity website.
The Bush plan would also scuttle currently planned critical habitat designations, including 10 in California alone. Below is a list of species that will be immediately affected by the DOI suspensions of Critical Habitat designation. For all these species, the DOI plans to ask the courts for extensions on deadlines for designating critical habitat into 2004 and beyond.
California:
California Red-Legged Frog
Lane Mountain Milk-vetch
Arroyo Toad
Riverside Fairy Shrimp
Santa Ana Sucker
Ventura Marsh Milk-vetch
La Graciosa Thistle
Fish Slough Milk-vetch
Spreading Navarretia
San Jacinto Crownscale
Southeast region:
Topeka Shiner (Missouri)
11 mussel species from the Mobile River
Cumberland Elktoe (mussel) and four Tennessee bivalves
Other states and regions:
Pygmy Owl (Arizona)
Bull Trout -- Columbia and Klamath proposed rule, will halt finalization. Also proposed critical habitat on other population segments (Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington)
Mexican Spotted Owl (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah)
Eggert's Sunflower (Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee)
Colorado Butterfly Plant (Colorado, Nebraska, Wyoming)
Groups participating in this release: Center for Biological Diversity, Earthjustice, Defenders of Wildlife, Natural Resources Defense Council, Endangered Species Coalition.
The Natural Resources Defense Council is a national, non-profit organization of scientists, lawyers and environmental specialists dedicated to protecting public health and the environment. Founded in 1970, NRDC has more than 550,000 members nationwide, served from offices in New York, Washington, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
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