Oregon Public Broadcasting

Environmental groups and Democratic lawmakers claim in the final months before leaving office, the Bush Administration is trying to weaken endangered species protections.

Supporters of the Administration counter its critics are getting hysterical.  Correspondent Tom Banse reports.

The Bush Administration wants to streamline project approvals for federal agencies that work on dams, timber sales, mines and such. 

Under the proposed changes, agencies could rely on in-house expertise to determine if their plans threaten protected species. 

Environmental scientist Dominick DellaSala of Ashland, Oregon claims that lets the fox guard the hen house.

Dominick DellaSala: “It essentially eliminates the checks and balances that have been in place.”

On the other side, an attorney for the conservative Pacific Legal Foundation, Reed Hopper, says the planned changes are being blown way out of proportion.

Reed Hopper: “The regulations are simply targeted toward small projects that have by definition no significant impact on threatened or endangered species.”

The final changes are expected to be published before a mid-December deadline.

All sides acknowledge that the new Congress could easily reinstate the current endangered species rules if it chooses to.