NY Times says Bush and Kempthorne endangering the Endangered Species Act

The New York Times ran a strong editorial decrying the Bush Administration's end-of-reign moves to undermine the Endangered Species Act.

Sunday's editorial notes:

In mid-August, the administration proposed two dangerous regulatory changes. One would free the government from considering the effects of greenhouse gas emissions on polar bears and other imperiled wildlife. The other would eliminate some expert scientific reviews of federal projects that could harm endangered species.

The editorial says that under that ESA, the government is required to accept public comments before changes to the can be enacted. Some 300,000 comments were received on the proposed changes -- reflecting the public's awareness and concern.

Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne directed 15 staffers from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to review the comments -- but gave them only a week to do so.

At that rate, the comments had to have been read at a rate of 7,000 per hour -- hardly suggesting justice and sincerity on the part of administration.

"This rush job is, obviously, a travesty of the public comment process," the editorial comments.

Read the full editorial here.