At-risk species remain at-risk

Compared to the Clinton and George H.W. Bush administrations, the Obama administration seems to have endangered-species protection low on its priority list, according to media reports.

In mid-November, the administration formally denied protection to 251 plant and animal species, including types of shorebirds, mammals, crustaceans and plants. The species will be placed back on the “candidate” list, where they will remain indefinitely.

Many environmental activists have expressed displeasure with the Obama administration’s track record. So far, the administration has granted Endangered Species Act protection to an average of 26 species per year. In comparison, the Bush administration granted protection to an average of 58 species each year, and the Clinton administration’s annual rate was 65.