The House of Representatives recently approved a plan to revise the Endangered Species Act. The plan significantly weakens the protection of threatened wildlife by eliminating the requirement that critical habitat be set aside for endangered species.

The Bush Administration has already started reducing critical habitat protection for some species. NPR examines the story of one species, the western snowy plover, whose protected shoreline habitat has already been reduced by 40% in response to orders from a Federal Court judge to re-analyze the costs of the critical habitat.

Find out more: The Endangered Species Act and the Plover (NPR)