endangered habitats

[Anne Kilmer]

Those of you who have been complaining that the laws don't protect
habitat, jump in here and do something about it. 
I don't see anything here about being citizens of the US; the rest of
yez are presumably the public, too. 
Fix it the way you want it, now that you have a chance. 
Cheers
Anne Kilmer
South Florida

============================================================September
20,
1999                      Hugh Vickery 202-208-5634

            SERVICES REOPENS PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD
     ON ROLE OF HABITAT IN ENDANGERED SPECIES CONSERVATION

In response to several requests, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service has reopened the public comment period on its Notice of
Intent published this summer to reevaluate the role of habitat,
and especially the designation of critical habitat, in the
conservation of threatened and endangered species.

The public will now have until October 29, 1999, to submit
comments. They should be mailed to: Chief, Division of Endangered
Species, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1849 C Street, NW,
Mailstop ARLSQ-420, Washington, DC 20240.

The Service has put forward no proposals but is exploring methods
to fully comply with the requirements of the Endangered Species
Act concerning critical habitat while expending its limited
resources in a manner that will provide the greatest conservation
benefit to as many species as possible.

The Notice of Intent was published in the June 14, 1999, Federal
Register.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal
agency responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing
fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing
benefit of the American people.  The Service manages the 93-
million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System comprised of more
than 500 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands,
and other special management areas.  It also operates 66 national
fish hatcheries, 64 fish and wildlife management assistance
offices and 78 ecological services field stations.  The agency
enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered
Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores
nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife
habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with
their conservation efforts.  It also oversees the Federal Aid
program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in
excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and
wildlife agencies.
                             -FWS-


============================================================
News releases are also available on the World Wide Web at 
http://www.fws.gov/r9extaff/pubaff.html