Babbitt’s Eco-Babble

BRUCE BABBITT says he was born to be Secretary of the Interior, a destiny that was finally fulfilled this January. Considered by many to be the brightest star in Bill Clinton’s Cabinet, Secretary Babbitt is staking his political life on something called “ecosystem management.” He views this concept as a way to escape the absolutism of the Endangered Species Act, which has become a regulatory straitjacket for property owners and politicians alike.

Under the ESA, species thought to be in danger of becoming extinct are “listed.” Once a species is listed, any human use of land inhabited by that species can be prohibited—“whatever the cost,” according to the Supreme Court.

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Ike C. Sugg

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Endangered Species Act

BRUCE BABBITT says he was born to be Secretary of the Interior, a destiny that was finally fulfilled this January. Considered by many to be the brightest star in Bill Clinton’s Cabinet, Secretary Babbitt is staking his political life on something called “ecosystem management.” He views this concept as a way to escape the absolutism of the Endangered Species Act, which has become a regulatory straitjacket for property owners and politicians alike.

Under the ESA, species thought to be in danger of becoming extinct are “listed.” Once a species is listed, any human use of land inhabited by that species can be prohibited—“whatever the cost,” according to the Supreme Court.