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April 28, 2009

Secretaries Salazar and Locke Reinstate Scientific Consultation to Protect Imperiled Wildlife and their Habitats

Today, Threatened and Endangered species regained protections lost under the Bush Administration.

Interior and Commerce Secretaries Ken Salazar and Gary Locke, announced that both departments are revoking a Bush Administration 11th hour rule that severely weakened protections for Threatened and Endangered species listed under the Endangered Species Act.

The rule reinstated today, commonly known as Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, requires that any agency proposing an action that might affect Threatened or Endangered species must consult with independent experts before proceeding.

Duane Short of Biodiversity Conservation Alliance noted, “given that most state and federal agencies do not employ endangered species experts, it makes sense that these agencies are required to consult with the independent experts within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.”

Short added, “Public support for reinstating Section 7 has been overwhelming. As of today, the Secretaries had been delivered over 100,000 signatures from citizens, including those from Biodiversity Conservation Alliance members and Wyoming residents, urging them to reverse the Bush rule that essentially eliminated the Endangered Species Act's consultation requirement.”

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Joint Press Release

Department of Interior
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Salazar and Locke Restore Scientific Consultations under the Endangered Species Act to Protect Species and their Habitats

 

Date: April 28, 2009

Contact: Hugh Vickery (Interior), 202-208-6416
Scott Smullen (Commerce - NOAA) 202-482-1097

April 28, 2009

Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced that the two departments are revoking an eleventh-hour Bush administration rule that undermined Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections. Their decision requires federal agencies to once again consult with federal wildlife experts at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – the two agencies that administer the ESA – before taking any action that may affect threatened or endangered species.  

“By rolling back this 11th hour regulation, we are ensuring that threatened and endangered species continue to receive the full protection of the law,” Salazar said. “Because science must serve as the foundation for decisions we make, federal agencies proposing to take actions that might affect threatened and endangered species will once again have to consult with biologists at the two departments.”

“For decades, the Endangered Species Act has protected threatened species and their habitats,” said Commerce Secretary Gary Locke. “Our decision affirms the Administration’s commitment to sound science to promote conservation and protect the environment.”
 
In March, President Obama directed the Secretaries to review the previous Administration’s Section 7 regulation of the ESA – which governs interagency consultation – and Congress, in the 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act, specifically authorized the Secretaries to revoke the regulation.  

Locke and Salazar said the two departments will conduct a joint review of the 1986 consultation regulations to determine if any improvements should be proposed.

The Endangered Species Act was signed into law in 1973 to protect imperiled species from extinction, as well as conserve the ecosystems and habitats necessary for their survival.
 
NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources.
 
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. It is a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service.