Butterfly won't get species protection - AP

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Butterfly won't get species protection

By MARTIN GRIFFITH, Associated Press Writer
Wed May 2, 6:59 PM ET

RENO, Nev. - A butterfly found only at a popular Nevada off-road
vehicle site won't receive federal protection as a threatened or
endangered species, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decided
Wednesday.

After a 12-month review, agency officials said federal listing under
the Endangered Species Act is unwarranted because of recently
adopted measures to protect the habitat of the Sand Mountain
blue butterfly. Also higher-than-expected numbers of the insect
were found during a survey last year, fish and wildlife officials
said.

-snip-

Conservationists, who had sought to have the butterfly listed
under the Endangered Species Act, branded the decision the
latest attempt by the Bush administration to undercut
environmental protections. They say butterfly numbers have
steadily decreased, and its habitat is rapidly vanishing.

-snip-

Federal land managers for the first time in March restricted
motorcycles, dune buggies and all-terrain vehicles to designated
routes at the Sand Mountain Recreation Area, a series of wind
blown sand dunes that are the remnants of an ancient lake about
85 miles east of Reno. The dune's shrubs are the butterfly's only
known home.

-snip-

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070502/ap_on_sc/rare_butterfly

[Norrin Radd]

1. Because racing through the wilds destroying everything is sooo much more important.

:sarcasm:

Such selfish disregard disgusts me.

[pitohui]

2. there's no hope for endangered insects like butterflies with this crew in charge EOM

,