The Bush administration finalized what Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne called a "narrow" change to Endangered Species Act regulations but environmental groups and Democrats vowed a challenge.

The change allows federal agencies to determine, on their own, whether to eliminate an ESA review for dams, roads and other federal projects. Previously, such reviews were sent to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the National Marine Fisheries Service.

The rule will be published in the Federal Register and become effective before president-elect Barack Obama takes office on January 20, 2009. Democrats plan to introduce legislation to overturn the rule during the 111th Congress.

Get the Story:
Administration Loosens Species Protections (The Washington Post 12/12)
Rule Eases a Mandate Under a Law on Wildlife (The New York Times 12/12)

Relevant Documents:
Interior Publishes Final Narrow Changes to Regulations, Clarifies Role of Global Processes in Consultation | Final Rule | Statement by Secretary Kempthorne

Related Stories:
Editorial: Speed-reading at the Interior Department (10/27)
Interior to read 200,000 comments in 32 hours (10/22)
Kempthorne: Narrow changes for endangered species (9/2)
Editorial: Endangered Species Act in danger (8/20)
Editoral: Bush undermines Endangered Species Act (8/13)
Interior proposes endangered species change (8/12)