Corrections: In the article on the Ninth Circuit's decision to publish its pygmy-owl opinion, on page 6 of the March issue, Chip Murray of AF&PA was misquoted. Murray said the decision "recognized that district court judges have the authority to weigh evidence," not "waive" evidence.

In the article on the takings legislation, Rep. Jim Traficant's party affiliation was incorrect. He is a Democrat.

ESWR regrets the errors.

Front page

New wetland permits issued

• Army Corps of Engineers' new and modified nationwide wetland permits (FR 3/9, p. 12817-89)
• Corps press release announcing new permits (3/6/00)
• Corps summary of permit changes, plus 1999 regulatory statistics
• NAHB press release
• Sierra Club press release on nationwides (Also, Sierra Club released report March 10, "Permitting Disaster," on wetland permits issued between 1988-96. Go here for report)
• Statement by National Audubon Society's Daniel P. Beard on wetland permits (3/8/00)
• National Assn. of Counties/Foundation for Environmental and Economic Progress release report on cost of new permits (based on July '99 proposal)
• NaCO/FEEP report
• Critique of NaCO/FEEP report from Julie Sibbing, senior policy specialist with National Audubon Society

House passes takings bill, H.R. 2372

• Info on H.R. 2372 from THOMAS
• Go here for links to debate on the bill from March 16 Congressional Record (Scroll down)
  • Cong. Record Daily Digest (Probably the best link for Congressional Record)
• National Wildlife Federation letter on H.R. 2372
• Justice Dept. letter opposing bill (2/15/00)
• Interior Dept. letter in opposition (9/14/99)
• EPA letter in opposition (2/15/00)
• Natl. Assn. of Home Builders' press release on H.R. 2372 vote (3/16/00)

Builders sue over new permits, NWP 29 (p.3)

• Complaint filed in federal court in Washington, D.C. (Copy of complaint)
• NAHB sues over wetland permits (NAHB press release)
• EXTRA: National Stone Association sues over new NWP 44. Go here for copy of complaint

Budget

• Babbitt's written testimony before House appropriations committee
• Testimony of FWS Director Jamie Clark before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies, 3/2/00
• Web page for Propositions 12 and 13 (has more info on bond measure that passed in California)
  • Audubon Society press release on Props. 12 and 13

Congress

• House Resources Committee passes H.R. 3672, bill to reform Federal Aid programs (Committee press release)
  • Bill summary and status (from THOMAS)
• Testimony of FWS Director Jamie Clark before House Resources Committee at hearing on H.R. 3160, ESA reauthorization bill
• House Resources press release on March 1 hearing on H.R. 3160

Courts

• Ninth Circuit to publish pygmy-owl decision
  • Defenders of Wildlife v. Bernal (98-16099)
• Letters seeking publication
  • American Forest & Paper Association letter
  • Govs. Racicot (Mont.) and Kempthorne (Idaho) letter
  • Letter from Defenders of Wildlife, Center for Biological Diversity
  • Amphitheater School District letter
  • Washington state chapter of National Assn. of Industrial and Office Properties
  • Pacific Legal Foundation letter
  • Plum Creek letter
  • Letter from Sen. Slade Gorton to Ninth Circuit

• Mexican spotted owl critical habitat designation ordered (opinion) (Southwest Center v. Babbitt, 99-519 LFG/LCS-ACE, D.N.M.)
• Calif. forestry dept. sued for ESA violations (Complaint, EPIC v. Tuttle 00-713, N.D. Cal.) from EPIC Web page
• Forest Service settles suit over California forests ( (Southwest Center v. Sprague, 98-2434 SC, N.D. Cal.)
• Fifth Circuit grants en banc rehearing in NFMA case (Opinion in Sierra Club v. Glickman, 97-41274, 5th Cir.)
• Standing found for enviros in Fourth Circuit (Opinion in Friends of the Earth, Inc. v. Gaston Copper Recycling Corp., 98-1938, 2/23/00)
  • Friends of the Earth press release
• Florida panther 60-day notice

HCPs

• Some briefs in the Natomas case
• FWS Natomas press release from 1998

Listings/critical habitat

• Complaint filed over western sage grouse petition (Northwest Ecosystem Alliance v. Clark, 00-520 EGS, D.D.C.)
• Short-tailed albatross complaint (Turtle Island Restoration Network v. Babbitt, 00-521 PLF, D.D.C.)
• Piping plover order (Defenders of Wildlife v. Babbitt, 96-2695 AER, D.D.C.)
  • Declaration of FWS assistant director of ecological services Gary Frazer, with attachments
  • Defenders press release
• Settlement setting CH deadlines for Riverside fairy shrimp, Quino checkerspot butterfly, Arkansas River shiner
• Appalachian species get CH deadlines (Southern Appalachian Biodiversity Project v. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 99-1777 JR, D.D.C.)
• San Diego fairy shrimp critical habitat proposed (FR 3/8, p. 12181-201) (FWS press release)
• Alameda whipsnake shrimp critical habitat proposed (FR 3/8, p. 12155-81) (FWS press release)

NMFS

• Go here for Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund press releases on on Hawaiian monk seal, Columbia River and flow augmentation litigation (Click on "press releases")
  • NMFS announces scoping meetings for preparation of an EIS on management of crustaceans in Western Pacific (FR 12/17, p. 70679-81)
• Columbia River deepening project complaint (Northwest Envl. Advocates v. NMFS BJR 00-235, W.D. Wash.)
  • NMFS NW Region biological opinions (Go here for Columbia River BiOp)
• Flow augmentation complaint (Trout Unlimited v. NMFS, 00-262, D. Ore.)
• Smalltooth sawfish may deserve listing (FR 3/10, p. 12959-62)

Register Report (Go here for up-to-date listings and proposed listings, HCPs and other FWS and NMFS notices)

• More on CITES at the CITES Web page
• FWS CITES Web page

NEPA Report

Reintroduction

• Two charged in Mexican wolf killing
• Grizzly reintroduction proposed for Idaho, Montana
• FWS press release
• Go here for a copy of the final EIS and conservation strategy for Yellowstone bear
• Mexican wolf program gets new coordinator (FWS release)

Takings

• Maine Supreme Court decision (William W. Wyer v. Board Of Environmental Protection and State of Maine, 2000 ME 45)

Wetlands

• NAHB lawsuit over new permits filed in federal court in Washington, D.C. (Copy of complaint)
• NAHB sues over wetland permits (NAHB press release)
• Kelly v. EPA