MSNBC staff and news service reports
updated 4:53 p.m. CT, Mon., Aug. 11, 2008
WASHINGTON - The Bush administration on Monday said it plans to let federal agencies decide for themselves whether highways, dams, mines and other construction projects might harm endangered animals and plants.

The proposal, which does not require the approval of Congress, would reduce the mandatory, independent reviews that government scientists have been performing for 35 years. Developers welcomed the plan, while environmentalists derided it.

Bald eagles are among the wildlife protected by the Endangered Species Act over the years. The Interior Department announced plans to streamline the act, a move criticized by environmentalists. The proposal would reduce the mandatory, independent reviews that government scientists have been performing for 35 years.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26143098