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Stop Bush From Removing Wildlife Protections From Pesticides
(Beyond Pesticides, March 10, 2004) The Bush administration is attempting to quietly weaken the Endangered Species Act by rewriting the rules that protect fish and wildlife from hazardous pesticides. The pesticide industry has sought this change for many years. We need your help to block them from winning this monumental change that will have ripple effects for decades to come. Comments have been extended from March 30, 2004 to April 16, 2004.

Please, send a message (use SAMPLE LETTER) to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service and tell them to stop this travesty. Tell them to reject industry's stealth efforts to weaken wildlife protection laws.

For organizations who would like to sign-on to public comments, please contact Beyond Pesticides or visit Beyond Pesticides Comments page under Watchdogging. See letter by EPA Office of Pesticide Programs Director Jim Jones.

PLEASE SPEAK OUT TO PROTECT FISH AND WILDLIFE FROM PESTICIDES!

Rules proposed on January 30, 2004 by the National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, take away much needed checks and balances built into the Endangered Species Act (ESA). EPA would be given unilateral decision-making power to determine the risks of many pesticides to endangered species, shutting government fish and wildlife experts out of decision-making. Read the proposed rules.

EPA admits that it already has a terrible track record when it comes to pesticides and endangered species. It is guilty of ignoring its own science showing pesticides harm endangered species, and chooses instead to allow the use of specific pesticides that threaten fish and wildlife including salmon, bald eagles, and sea turtles.

The Administration is taking comment on its proposed rules until March 30, 2004.

For more information, read a factsheet on the counterpart regulations or see case studies.