>But Bush will not be a friend to the Black Footed Ferret as he has
>nominated someone who has expressed disdain for endangered species...
>come to Norton
 
Hopefully, Norton will not survive the hearings as a nominee.  Ditto
Ashcroft since as Attorney General he'd be unlikely to support any legal
actions for violations of the Endangered Species Act.  It still leaves
Cheney having said that the only thing that should be endangered about the
Endangered Species Act is the Act itself, and his calling Black Footed
Ferrets "vermin", but there is nothing that can be done about that.  What
does all of this mean to people who actually care about Black Footed
Ferrets?  Well, it means most importantly that people should be calling
their senators and urging them to NOT confirm Ashcroft or Norton, and it
means that the phone call should be followed by one to the White House
saying that you consider it essential that Bush find nominees who will be
more fair toward the environmental needs and the helpful protections that
exist than either of those would; that the far right is far specifically
because it does not serve the wants or needs of the majority.  (And, yes,
this does mean that slaughter of prairie dogs also needs controls because
without it there will be no habitat to return to.  The irony is these
killings is that in studies of fodder it turns out that more and better
fodder exists where there are prairie dog colonies...) Right now everyone
in the U.S.  has a narrow window during which a real difference for the
better for BFFs and more can be made.  If most of the people who profess
to care do not use this window to try to improve things for the better for
Black Footed Ferrets and others then it would be worse than a shame; it
would be to accept some of the blame for anything bad that happens.
[Posted in FML issue 3305]