Half the way there for endangered species

Interior Secretary Salazar and Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, who oversee the major agencies that manage endangered species on land and sea, today promised to reinstate scientific consultation into the Endangered Species Act (ESA), a requirement that has protected species for decades.

In one of its last actions the Bush administration nearly gutted the ESA, America's safety net for plants and animals facing extinction, with two dangerous rule changes. The first, a rollback of Section 7 of the Act, removed the requirement that the responsible agencies consult with government wildlife scientists on how major activities might affect threatened and endangered species. The other, a rewrite of Section 4(d) of the Act, precluded government from addressing the very factors, greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, causing Arctic ice to melt and polar bears to die.

One of President Obama's first acts as President was to put the Bush endangered species rollbacks on hold. But final reinstatement of protections needed confirmation from the Departments of Interior and Commerce. To their credit, Secretary Salazar and Secretary Locke have now reinstated scientific consultation.

But there is still work to be done. Salazar still needs to reverse the Bush rule that exempts activities causing global warming from ever being considered a violation of the ESA. That rule has tremendous implications for many species, not just polar bears, from mountain caribou to Canada lynx to salmon.

May 9 update: Salazar lets polar pear ruling stand.