hello tweeters,

i thought you might want to keep an eye on other things that the W
administration is up to these days that affect our beloved birds!

regards,

Devorah A. N. Bennu, PhD
email:nyneve at amnh.org or nyneve at myUW.net
work page http://research.amnh.org/ornithology/personnel/bennu.htm
personal pages http://research.amnh.org/users/nyneve/

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Sent: Wednesday, January 29, 2003 8:38 AM
Subject: BUSH ADMINISTRATION ASSAULT ON ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT - Press Release


PRESS RELEASE
AMERICAN BIRD CONSERVANCY (ABC)
January 28, 2003
Dateline: Washington, D.C.

BUSH ADMINISTRATION ASSAULT ON ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT
ACTION WOULD REMOVE CRITICAL REVIEW FOR PESTICIDES

Conservationists have expressed outrage at the Bush Administration's
planned assault on one of the nation's most important environmental
laws, the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The proposed rule would allow
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to exempt itself from the
need to consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National
Marine Fisheries Service (collectively, "the services") regarding the
effects its decisions on pesticides have on endangered species.

Currently, under Section 7 of the ESA, all pesticide decisions made
by the EPA are subject to review by the services where endangered
species may be impacted. By circumventing this requirement, the EPA
will be free to make decisions affecting America's rarest species
without input from the very people charged with their protection.

Members of the newly-formed National Pesticide Coalition will convene
an emergency session on Friday Jan 31, to discuss their opposition to
the proposal. A 45-day comment period has been opened during which
time the coalition will organize a coordinated effort to have the
proposed rule struck down. The coalition comprises 15 nationally-recognized
groups, all concerned with the detrimental effects of pesticides on
wildlife, the environment, and public health. The complete list of
organizations is included below.

"What is most disturbing is that these new rules were written after
months of discussion with industry representatives but no input at
all from the conservation community," said Dr. Patti Bright,
Director of the Pesticides and Birds Campaign of American Bird
Conservancy, and a representative of the National Pesticides
Coalition. "It is appalling to think that essentially industry is
controlling pesticide regulation and endangered species protection
at the EPA. The fox is in charge of the hen house."

"The Bush Administration's proposed changes to the ESA's implementing
regulations would significantly weaken protections for our nation's
most imperiled wildlife, and establish an extremely dangerous
precedent," said Mike Senatore, Wildlife Council for Defenders of
Wildlife, a Coalition member. "Particularly alarming are proposed
changes that would severely weaken the vital role of the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service in ensuring that endangered and threatened
species are adequately protected from the harmful impacts of
pesticides. These changes, if adopted, would also clearly set the
stage for a complete rewriting of federal endangered species
regulations by this Administration for the benefit of industry."

Pesticides kill millions of birds annually, as well as many other
species, including endangered mammals. American Bird Conservancy,
Defenders of Wildlife, and the Florida Wildlife Federation are
currently involved in litigation with the EPA over the use of the
pesticide fenthion, which has killed numerous birds, including an
endangered species (Piping Plover), in Florida. Another widely used
pesticide coming up for EPA re-registration review, brodifacoum,
(the active ingredient of the rodenticide D-Con) has killed a number
of Endangered San Joaquin Kit Foxes in California, as well as Golden
Eagles. This same pesticide has been responsible for the vast
majority of the more than 48,000 recent rodenticide poisoning cases
of children under six years old reported to poison control centers
across the nation.

The proposed ruling, published in the Federal Register on January 24,
would give EPA the ability to register and re-register pesticides
solely based on the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide
Act (FIFRA), a law never designed to take the place of the ESA or
specifically protect endangered species. By taking critical review
away from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the rule would undermine
the ESA, and jeopardize our nation's wildlife heritage.

- END -

American Bird Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) organization aimed at
conserving wild birds and their habitats throughout the Americas.

Natural Resources Defense Council
World Wildlife Fund
Beyond Pesticides
Rachel Carson Council, Inc.
Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides
Washington Toxics Coalition
Environmental Defense
National Audubon Society
US Public Interest Research Group