More Than Just Parks - Latest News and Information
The Interior Department announced that the Endangered Species Committee, known as the "God Squad," will meet on March 31 to consider an exemption for Gulf of Mexico oil and gas drilling under the Endangered Species Act. The request targets projects that could further endanger the critically‑imperiled Rice’s whale, whose mature population may be as low as sixteen individuals, along with several other listed marine species. Legal analysts argue the exemption request violates ESA procedural rules because a recent biological opinion identifies viable mitigation alternatives. Conservation groups are poised to challenge the meeting in court.
Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. campaign against Iran, is consuming roughly $891 million each day, a cost that eclipses the entire annual operating budget of the National Park Service ($2.88 billion). Over the past year, the NPS has faced a 24 percent reduction...
