>          GREENLines, Wednesday, January 16, 2002, Issue #1543
>                 From The Endangered Species Coalition
>       A daily news digest about endangered species, biodiversity
>        related issues and the people working to stop extinction.
>                         www.stopextinction.org
>
>   BUSH ROLLS BACK WETLANDS PROTECTION: The Bush administration has given
>   the Army Corps of Engineers the go ahead to "streamline the approval of
>   certain development projects" on the nation's wetlands by issuing
>   "general nationwide permits" that allow them to "avoid levels of
>   scrutiny by the public and federal agencies" says the N.Y. Times 1/15.
>   Conservationists "accused the administration of capitulating to the
>   interests of developers and miners and jeopardizing ecologically
>   sensitive areas." Under the roll back developers are no longer required
>   to provide "one-for-one replacement" of wetlands, rules on dumping
>   toxic mine waste in perennial streams and flood-plain development are
>   also being relaxed.
>
>   NORTON STIFLES CRITICISM OF ROLL BACK: Interior Secretary Norton never
>   submitted comments by the USFWS on the Corps roll back of wetland
>   protections after the "Interior's key biological agency" drafted a
>   report "denouncing the plan as scientifically and environmentally
>   unjustified" says the Washington Post 1/14. The "service's 15-page
>   salvo warned that the Corps proposal would 'result in tremendous
>   destruction of aquatic and terrestrial habitat,' sacrificing far too
>   many streams and swamps for houses, levees and coal mines."

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