Endangered Legacy

AS THE SELF-STYLED "ENVIRONMENTAL PRESIDENT," George Bush has been anything but. The list of his Administration's antigreen positions is long, but high up on it is a reluctance to add animals and plants to the endangered-species list. The Bush argument: overprotecting species threatens businesses and jobs. And spotted owls, unlike loggers, can't vote. Last spring the Administration's stonewalling led to a lawsuit by several environmental groups.

That suit was unexpectedly settled last week when the Interior Department agreed to add about 400 species (mostly plants in Hawaii, California, the desert Southwest and Pacific Northwest) over the next four years -- roughly half as many as the 750 species now protected. The plaintiffs, including Friends of Animals and Defenders of Wildlife, applauded the move. But why the change of heart? One theory: the Administration believes the Endangered Species Act is a political nightmare, and the more species on the list, the bigger the headache for Bill Clinton.