Restore the Endangered Species Act

Just before George W. Bush left office, the administration issued three environmentally-unfriendly rules that:

1. eviscerated the central consultation process of the Endangered Species Act;
2. exempting greenhouse gas-emitting projects from regulation under the act;
3. specifically banned federal agencies from protecting the polar bear from greenhouse gas emissions (which is the primary threat to its existence).

The Endangered Species Act may well be our nation's most important wildlife protection law, and it has been safeguarding species for more than 35 years.

On March 11, President Obama signed into law an omnibus appropriations bill giving Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar 60 days to rescind the Bush rules and restore the power of the Endangered Species Act.

This is the opportunity for Salazar to fulfill Obama's campaign promises to bring science back to federal agencies.