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For Immediate Release:
March 13, 2002

Contact:
Bill Arthur, (206) 378-0114
Bart Semcer, (202) 675-6696

           Salmon Decision Latest Attempt by Bush Administration
                      to Undermine Environmental Laws
Settlement with developers allows removal of critical habitat in Northwest

Washington, D.C. -- The Bush administration has attempted another end-run
around the enforcement of important environmental laws with the forging of
a proposed settlement agreement that would remove critical habitat
protections for salmon and steelhead in the Northwest.

As part of the proposed settlement reached earlier this week, the National
Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) would rescind its current critical habitat
designation for 19 West Coast salmon and steelhead populations, caving in
to the demands of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The
judge in this case must still accept this proposed settlement.

"Rather than defend the integrity of previous agency decisions, the Bush
administration has resorted to cutting deals with top campaign contributors
and political supporters," said Bill Arthur, Northwest Regional Director
for the Sierra Club. "The Bush administration is once again compromising
the integrity of effective environmental laws and giving away our natural
heritage."

The proposal in the NAHB case to rescind critical habitat designations
continues the Administration's pattern of finding ways to weaken or ignore
environmental protections for wildlands and endangered species, despite
strong public support.  Last spring the administration failed to defend the
plan to protect the last unspoiled areas of our National Forests that
remain vulnerable to logging, despite 1.6 million public comments
overwhelmingly in favor of protecting wild forests.

"The administration is attempting to sneak through anti-environmental
measures they know will not pass in the court of public opinion," said
Arthur. "They have failed to implement recovery and protection on the
ground and are now selling out in court through settlement agreements with
corporate interests."

Under the Endangered Species Act, the designation of critical habitat --
based on the best available science and consideration of economic impacts
-- is a key element of protecting and recovering threatened and endangered
species. A 1995 report from the National Academy of Sciences stated that
critical habitat is a "valid biological concept" and that its protection is
essential for species survival and recovery.

"Critical habitat designations protect the open space, wildlands and clean
water that species need to recover and survive and that people need to
hike, hunt, fish and enjoy a high quality of life," said Arthur.

                                    ###


Erin Jordahl
Director, Iowa Chapter Sierra Club
3839 Merle Hay Road, Suite 280
Des Moines, IA 50310
515-277-8868
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