(c) Jessie Harris
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NPCC News Archive
(c) Priscilla Titus
(c) David Tibor
(c) John Game
(c) Susan Meyer
(c) Lori J. Makarick
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Make a Difference! Contact Your Representatives in Washington, DC!! Its your democratic right and obligation to share your views with agencies and elected officials. Access your government with a few clicks of the mouse:
NEW
Pass a resolution in your city Council, Board of Supervisors or State Legislature supporting protection of the Endangered Species Act and other environmental laws. Ashland, OR, San Francisco, CA and Pima County, AZ have already passed resolutions. Who will be next? Click for details
Sign the Aveda Endangered Plants Petition Online WHAT YOU CAN DO Sign the petition - 170,000 signatures have been gathered so far! 2. Gather more signatures! Signed petitions can be sent to the following address.
Petition Text
Save our power plants—
empower endangered species.
The Endangered Species Act is a safety net for all species—plants and wildlife—on the brink of extinction. The law successfully protected and restored American Bald Eagle populations—the symbol of our nation. But the Act itself is endangered: weakened by insufficient funding, it is unable to fully protect the more than 1,200 species currently listed. Plants and animals depend on one another—and we depend on them—for food, habitat and survival. The extinction of a single plant species may result in the disappearance of up to 30 other species.* We owe it to our children and grandchildren to be good stewards of the environment and leave behind a legacy that protects endangered species and the special places they call home. Extinction is forever, Mr. President. We, the undersigned, call on you to commit to a strong, fully funded Endangered Species Act.
We must protect all of the
species that comprise the web of life. *Source: U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture Your name is for petition purposes only and will not be used for any other purpose by Aveda. Click here for general information about Aveda and their Earth month Program ******Additional Issues******
Resources for Federal Agency Staff
Local Resolutions to Support the Imperiled Species, the Endangered Species Act and Strong Environmental Laws The Native Plant Conservation Campaign, the Endangered Species Coalition, and other groups have launched a project to ask local governments (boards of supervisors, city councils, etc.) to pass resolutions supporting the federal Endangered Species Act and our other environmental laws. This year, Congress is making their strongest push yet to gut the Act. The goal is to (1) find supervisor(s)/city council member(s) to introduce a resolution supporting the ESA, and strong environmental protections generally, and (2) build a local coalition to support and pass such a resolution. For more information, go to the Local Resolution Action Center. New National Forest Management Act Regulations
The Bush Administration has finalized fundamental changes to the regulations that implement the National Forest Management Act (NFMA). These rules control management of our 191 million acres of national forests across the United States. Comment period closed April 7. The Administration's new rule repeals the longstanding requirement that national forest plans ensure the viability of native plants and animals on national forests. National forests are among the most important remaining refugia for thousands of rare and common native species. Over the past 20 years, the viability requirement has been instrumental in protecting plants and wildlife and in promoting sustainable management of national forests. The rule makes other important changes to NFMA regulations, including
Proposed Clean Water Act Regulations - would Restrict Protection for Ephemeral Streams and Wetlands
On January 15, 2003, The Army Corps of Engineers released an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (Notice) on the Clean Water Act (CWA) definition of "waters of the United States". Comment period closed April 3. The core of the Notice is a proposal to exempt "isolated wetlands" from CWA protections. Isolated wetlands are not defined in the Notice, but are generally supposed to include vernal pools and other wetlands that are not obviously connected to navigable waters. The notice also discusses the possibility of exempting non-navigable tributaries of large bodies of water and ephemeral streams from CWA protection. The Notice also includes new "guidance" to the Army Corps of Engineers that prohibits district staff from claiming jurisdiction over "isolated" wetlands and waters without first seeking national headquarters approval. This guidance became effective immediately. Because isolated wetlands are not defined in the Notice, this guidance has already led to broad elimination of CWA protection for wetlands, including vernal pools. Comments should urge the Administration to:
In 2001, a U.S. Supreme Court Decision in the case Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - known as the SWANCC decision - addressed the question of protection of isolated wetlands under CWA. In SWANCC, the Court held that the Army Corps of Engineers had exceed its authority in asserting CWA jurisdiction over isolated, intrastate, non-navigable waters based solely on their use as habitat for migratory birds pursuant to the "Migratory Bird Rule". The current Notice expands dramatically, and unjustifiably, on the SWANCC decision to claim that
If regulations implementing these provisions are adopted, up to 60% of U.S. waters and wetlands currently protected under the Clean Water Act may no longer receive protection. They will then be vulnerable to being filled, polluted or destroyed without a permit and without mitigation. This notice makes no legal, hydrologic, fiscal or ecological sense:
Other Information:
BACKGROUND ON THE CLEAN WATER ACT Protection of "navigable waters of the United States" is the basis for CWA protection of water quality. However, wetlands and ephemeral streams are hydrologically connected to "navigable waters" via surface and groundwater flow. Any damage to or pollution also damages or pollutes downstream navigable waters in violation of the CWA. Based on this reasoning courts have ruled that the CWA protects some types of non-navigable waters including:
In 1986 the Army Corps adopted what has become known as the "Migratory Bird Rule", protecting waters which are used as habitat by birds protected under the Migratory Bird Treaties, as habitat for endangered species or to irrigate crops sold in commerce.
President Bush has pledged to bring "the benefits of competition" to federal functions. A new administration policy directs federal agencies to subject many tasks and functions to competitive bidding by – sometimes undertrained and inexperienced – private sector contractors. Contractors are selected partially by low bid which may allow for substandard work. A National Park Service initial study found that up to 70% of full time staff may be eligible for replacement. By contrast, a Department of Defense preliminary estimate found less than 10% of staff eligible. Some in the Senate and House have requested that, because of its broad implications and impacts, the Competitive Sourcing initiative be suspended until it is authorized by Congress. Read the Office of Management and Budget Rule Read Secretary of Interior Gale Norton's Competitive Sourcing Memo Read NPCC letter to Congress on outsourcing amendment to FY 2004 Interior Appropriations Bill
NPCC "Eye on the Bush Administration": UNDER CONSTRUCTION Green Scissors Report 2003 - Details 68 federal programs that are harmful to the environment and cost taxpayers nearly $60 billion Natural Resources Defense Council on "The Bush Record" Ecological Society of America Public Affairs Invasive Exotic Species Issues Economics of Conservation: Conservation of the Environment is GOOD for the economy!
Voice Yourself - allows searches by state to find your House and Senate delegations Congress.org - allows searches by ZIP code to find your individual House and Senate representatives Federal legislation can be accessed through the Thomas search engine. Federal regulations open to public comment can be accessed through www.regulations.gov Environmental Protection Agency's EDocket Site allows searches of current and past EPA regulation proposals
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