According to the Interior Department, a very small number of environmental groups are filing a clutter of lawsuits under the Endangered Species Act.
Many experts think saving species is of secondary interest to the groups.
Their real aim is opposition to growth and development. No fishing, No grazing. Among organizations filing the suits are the Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, Conservation Council for Hawaii, the Southern Appalachian Biodiversity Project and the Biodiversity Legal Fund. When these groups win a case, their attorneys fees are paid for by the U.S. Department of Justice. In order to curb such abuses, President George W. Bush has proposed that Congress enact a one-year moratorium on private lawsuits aimed at adding new entries to the endangered list.