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- THE WEEK, Page 19HEALTH & SCIENCEEndangered Legacy
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- Bush opts unexpectedly to protect more endangered species
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- As the self-styled "Environmental President," George Bush has
- been anything but. The list of his Administration's antigreen
- positions is long, but high up on it is a reluctance to add
- animals and plants to the endangered-species list. The Bush
- argument: overprotecting species threatens businesses and jobs.
- And spotted owls, unlike loggers, can't vote. Last spring the
- Administration's stonewalling led to a lawsuit by several
- environmental groups.
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- That suit was unexpectedly settled last week when the
- Interior Department agreed to add about 400 species (mostly
- plants in Hawaii, California, the desert Southwest and Pacific
- Northwest) over the next four years -- roughly half as many as
- the 750 species now protected. The plaintiffs, including Friends
- of Animals and Defenders of Wildlife, applauded the move. But
- why the change of heart? One theory: the Administration
- believes the Endangered Species Act is a political nightmare,
- and the more species on the list, the bigger the headache for
- Bill Clinton.
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