Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Paper Tiger: US govt agency stopped 0 of 88,000 projects posing potential risk to endangered species

A new study carried out by Defenders for Wildlife has found that the US Fish and Wildlife Service did not stop any of the 88,000 development projects that could have posed potential risks to endangered species. The study’s authors say it should dispel claims that the Endangered Species Act threatens projects such as logging old growth forests, dams or bridges. There are opposing views about the effectiveness of the Endangered Species Act. Conservationists often argue that federal agencies fail to strictly apply the act and allow massive infrastructure projects to go ahead without adequate conservation controls. They also say agencies approve smaller projects that erode habitat, something that is rarely tracked. Developers and lawmakers argue the act hampers projects, thus threatening the economy and jobs...more


They limited their study to Sec. 7 consultations, which means it doesn't even come close to measuring the full impact of the ESA. 

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