The Fish and Wildlife Service retreated Wednesday on one of its signature environmental initiatives, withdrawing plans to update the “biological integrity, diversity, and environmental health” policy for the national wildlife refuge system.
Citing in part both the number of comments and the complexity of the points that were raised, the federal agency announced it will drop its revision proposals rolled out last February and instead stick with the existing “BIDEH” policy set in 2001. The agency first proposed the update earlier this year, saying it was needed because of the changes at refuges stemming from climate change.
“The Service understands the concern raised by commenters about a lack of clarity within the proposal regarding the specific implementation process for ensuring BIDEH,” the Fish and Wildlife Service stated in a document set for formal publication in the Federal Register on Thursday.
The FWS added that “these comments demonstrate some of the issues that require further communication and coordination with partners and stakeholders to ensure greater understanding of the Service’s intent” before a new policy proposal is ripe for consideration.
