Previously, when land management agencies, such as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or the U.S. Forest Service, were planning a forest project that could affect a listed species or designated critical habitat, they were required to formally consult with the federal wildlife agency responsible for protecting the species (such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the National Marine Fisheries Service).
The new standards allow the land management agencies to make their own determinations as to whether projects will have an adverse effect on endangered species. BLM, the Forest Service, and other agencies will continue to conduct formal consultations with wildlife agencies in cases where a forest project is found likely to have an adverse impact.
“This change creates the classic example of the ‘fox guarding the henhouse’ by having the agencies most focused on logging make these important decisions without any input from the agencies responsible for wildlife protection,”
wrote the Defenders of Wildlife, which recently released a report examining the Bush administration’s efforts to undermine ESA.
The new measure was unveiled Dec. 3, hours after President Bush signed the Healthy Forest Restoration Act into law.