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The Alabama Beach Mouse is an endangered species found only in the sand dunes of the Fort Morgan peninsula on the Alabama coast. This tiny critter is competing with big-time developers who want to bulldoze its habitat to put up high-rise condos. Earthjustice's New Orleans office recently won a preliminary injunction against condominium developers to prevent them from destroying the mouse's habitat. In this case, Earthjustice challenged permits issued by the Fish and Wildlife Service, an agency that has never denied a development permit in order to protect Alabama beaches or the habitat they provide for protected species.

Ensuring enforcement of the Endangered Species Act keeps Earthjustice attorneys busy across the nation. Now, a bill is circulating Congress that would seriously undermine the Act. While its titled purpose is to ensure "sound science" in decisions under the Act, the bill actually seeks to substantially alter the existing balance in favor of species protection struck in the Act and followed since 1973. It also would hamstring the scientific process by attempting to dictate the use of specific kinds of scientific information in every situation and by adding procedures that would delay decisions under the Act, to the detriment of wildlife and people.