“Created in 1970 by an executive order of President Richard Nixon, the EPA has morphed into a lethal Leviathan that regularly issues edicts that can bankrupt towns and cities, as well as businesses and individuals.”
“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today released its Candidate Notice of Review, a yearly appraisal of the current status of plants and animals considered candidates for protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA),” the USFWS announced in a November 20, 2012 press release. “There are now 192 species recognized by the Service as candidates for ESA protection, the lowest number in more than 12 years,” the agency release stated.
Those opening sentences in the press release might have caused many farmers, ranchers, businesses and property owners to heave a sigh of relief, hoping that they might be spared prosecution and persecution due to the reduced ESA candidate list. That could be a false hope, as the Obama administration gives every sign of utilizing all the tools and opportunities at its disposal to stop energy projects, block economic development, and lock up federal lands. As reported here recently (“Specious Endangerment: Obama Awards Spotted Owls 9.6 Million Acres”), the administration has nearly doubled the critical habitat for the Northern Spotted Owl, locking up 9.6 million acres of forestland in Washington, Oregon, and California.
Will a chipmunk or snail darter be used next as a pretext to wreak havoc on an industry, State, or region? The same USFWS press release states: “Today’s notice identifies two new candidate species: Peñasco least chipmunk (Sacramento and White Mountains, New Mexico) and Cumberland arrow darter (Kentucky and Tennessee).”
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