I am a biologist, and this…

I am a biologist, and this is an incredibly bad idea. Requiring permits for development or activities that might hurt endangered animals is important to prevent them from being destroyed. The fact that acquiring a permit takes time is not a problem that needs to be fixed. Deciding whether or not an activity is likely to do serious harm to imperiled species should be a process that is conducted carefully and thoughtfully, not as rapidly as possible. And while some people may think endangered animals are not worth the protection, I will point out that they are parts of the environment upon which we rely. By harming them, we are putting the entire ecosystem at risk, an ecosystem that supports us as well. Streams and lakes provide fish and recreation spaces. Wetlands filter out impurities and make our water cleaner. Insects pollinate our plants and insure our crops and gardens thrive. We shouldn't put all of that at risk just because we wanted to start construction projects a little faster.