The cost of protecting a species plays no role whatsoever in deciding whether to protect it. But that does not mean the budget for administering the Endangered Species Act is unlimited. Far from it. Enforcing the act is a matter of allocating limited resources, and always will be. We have to make choices when it comes to protecting endangered species.
Critical habitats have to be designated.
Federal building projects have to be reviewed for compliance. Countless private projects have to be scrutinized for possible harm to species. The Bush administration's proposal would give the government relief for one budgetary year from having to comply with orders that are the product of new citizens' suits. Existing orders would not be affected. Perhaps we should be concerned with the most threatened species first.