Facebook Twitter Email
APRIL 12, 2001

Environmentalists are criticizing a provision in the proposed budget for the Department of Interior because it would give Secretary Norton more power in determining how to list endangered species.

The provision is part of the US Fish and Wildlife budget. It would allow Norton to develop her own standards for listing species under the Endangered Species Act. The change would last for a year.

Currently, there is a moratorium of species listing at Fish and Wildlife due to litigation slowing down the efforts of government scientists. It was instituted last fall by the Clinton administration and doesn't affect species listing by the Department of Commerce.

The fiscal year 2002 budget for Fish and Wildlife has been cut by $167.9 million from the 2001 level. Endangered species programs have been cut by $9.1 million, a decrease Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) called "unacceptable."

In her previous career at the Interior, Norton worked on endangered species.

Get the Budget:
Fiscal Year 2002 Interior Budget in Brief (DOI 4/9)

Get the Story:
Bush Seeks to Curb Endangered Species Suits (The Washington Post 4/12)
Plan Eases Rules of Wildlife Protection (The Albuquerque Journal 4/12)

Related Stories:
BIA proposal includes slight increases (4/10)
BIA / OST Budget Overview (4/10)
BIA Budget: To cut or not to cut?(4/9)
Bush cuts Interior budget (3/1)
Fiscal Year 2002: The Budget Overview (3/1)
Bush pushes tax cut, budget (2/28)
Norton to address Indian affairs (2/28)
Norton outlines Indian Country priorities (2/23)
Norton warns of Interior budget cuts (2/16)
Tribal Schools on Priority List (2/16)
Indian funding signed into law (10/12)