US Republicans attack wolves, environment

From the New York Times in the USA:

Congress, in a First, Removes an Animal From the Endangered Species List

By FELICITY BARRINGER and JOHN M. BRODER

Published: April 12, 2011

Congress for the first time is directly intervening in the Endangered Species List and removing an animal from it, establishing a precedent for political influence over the list that has outraged environmental groups.

A rider to the Congressional budget measure agreed to last weekend dictates that wolves in Montana and Idaho be taken off the endangered species list and managed instead by state wildlife agencies, which is in direct opposition to a federal judge’s recent decision forbidding the Interior Department to take such an action.

While the language on the Rocky Mountain wolves was a tiny item in budgetary terms, environmental groups said it set an unnerving precedent by letting Congress, rather than a science-based federal agency, remove endangered species protections.

The rider is the first known instance of Congress’ directly intervening in the list. While Congress overrode the protections extended to a tiny Tennessee fish called the snail darter about two decades ago, it did so by authorizing the construction of a dam that had originally been tabled to protect the fish. In that case, Congress did not overturn scientists’ findings about the fish’s viability.

There are myriad restrictions and budget cuts for environmental initiatives in the proposed budget.

US Budget Agreement Leaves Defense Spending Relatively Untouched: here.

EPA Seeks Reversal of Bush Era Pollution Policy: here.

USA: July 2011: Washington’s fourth documented wolf pack has been confirmed through DNA tests on an animal equipped with a radio collar last month in Kittitas County: here.

Wolves may aid recovery of Canada lynx, a threatened species: here.

September 2011. Mexican authorities plan to release five Mexican wolves this month at an undisclosed ranch location in northeastern Sonora, Mexico; it is believed that the wolves being released will be fitted with satellite tracking collars: here.