High court refuses to enter shrimp debate 3
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--> --> High court refuses to enter shrimp debate WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court has turned down a chance to set limits on how far the government can go to protect endangered species. The case the court refused Monday to review involves shrimp found mainly in California, but it would have affected government efforts to protect all dying wildlife. An association of Californians builders challenged the constitutionality of the Endangered Species Act and the way the government handled the classification of shrimp. Over the years a string of lawsuits have been filed over classifications of various species, from red wolves and bald eagles to arroyo toads and Delhi Sand flower-loving flies. In this case, builders were asking the Supreme Court to roll back protection given shrimp. The builders attorneys told the court that Californians "run the risk of violating federal law by simply walking on their land. Placing a foot in a puddle of water can result in heavy fines or even imprisonment if it harms the small and delicate fairy shrimp." They questioned the need for protection for the shrimp, which are not sold commercially. Paul D. Clement, acting solicitor general, defended the shrimp classification. "Individual species are part of an interdependent web," Clement wrote. "The significance of a particular species cannot always be easily determined at a given point in time." The case involves three species classified as endangered - Conservancy fairy shrimp, longhorn fairy shrimp, and vernal pool tadpole shrimp. The shrimp are found in California's central valley and in Oregon. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit sided with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The court agreed with the builders that the service should have circulated a study on the shrimp. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing