Category Archives: Secretary Salazar

Obama Administration Restores Endangered Species Act Protections!

Today, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Commerce Secretary Gary Locke announced the restoration of rules under the Endangered Species Act that help protect endangered species when government decisions or projects are implemented. The rules were weakened in the final days of the Bush administration. The Department of Interior sent out this press release announcing the decision today. Their decision requires federal agencies to once again consult with federal wildlife experts at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National… Continue reading →

How the Omnibus helps endangered species

The U.S. House of Representatives is expected today to debate an omnibus bill that sets the federal government’s budget for the rest of the fiscal year. The bill has some good news for endangered species. First, it includes budget increases for many endangered species programs, which have been ailing for years. For the main Fish and Wildlife Service programs, which include listing and critical habitat designation; consultations; candidate protections; and recovery efforts, there is an increase of almost $7.5 million… Continue reading →

Congress, scientists, conservationists call on President Obama to restore the Endangered Species Act

Today, Members of Congress, scientists, law professors, conservation organizations, scientific associations and citizens called on President Obama to restore endangered species protections. The Endangered Species Coalition organized a press event today at the Capitol with Representative Raul Grijalva to urge the Obama Administration to use the authority that Congress gave them to to repeal two last-minute Bush administration rule changes that weaken the Endangered Species Act by diminishing scientific consultation requirements for federal agencies and restricting protections for the polar… Continue reading →

Obama Administration close to decision on ESA regs

According to the New York Times and Greenwire, the Obama Administration is preparing their decision on whether to overturn the Bush Endangered Species Act regulations. Greenwire writes, “the Interior Department is proceeding with a final rule revamping changes that the Bush administration made to Endangered Species Act regulations in its final months.” To see the article, visit https://tinyurl.com/interiorarticle The Department of Interior has sent a revised rule to the Office of Management and Budget. The rule could be released as… Continue reading →

Obama Administration close to decision on ESA regs

According to the New York Times and Greenwire, the Obama Administration is preparing their decision on whether to overturn the Bush Endangered Species Act regulations. Greenwire writes, “the Interior Department is proceeding with a final rule revamping changes that the Bush administration made to Endangered Species Act regulations in its final months.” To see the article, visit https://tinyurl.com/interiorarticle The Department of Interior has sent a revised rule to the Office of Management and Budget. The rule could be released as… Continue reading →

Interior Secretary Salazar hears from Congress, scientists and conservationists

Yesterday, I went to the last Department of Interior hearing in San Francisco on off-shore oil drilling. It was so inspiring to see hundreds of people supporting strong environmental protections and opposing drilling off our coasts! Several speakers asked Secretary Salazar to overturn the Bush Administration’s regulations that weakened the Endangered Species Act. Representative Lynn Woolsey said it best when she asked “Mr. Secretary, isn’t it time to rollback the Bush Administration’s revisions of the Endangered Species Act policy?” For… Continue reading →

Time is Running Out for the Polar Bear

Time is running out for the polar bear. As their sea ice habitat disappears, polar bears are starving and drowning, and mothers and cubs are dying as their snow dens collapse on them due to a warming climate. In addition, pollution from oil and gas drilling threatens to destroy what’s left of the polar bear’s disappearing habitat. The fate of the polar bears and other endangered species relies on their Endangered Species Act protections being restored. In their last days,… Continue reading →