Reagan did similar things to environmental programs...why are we surprised? I personally know a very high offical at EPA...he told me when Reagan came in, he simply ordered certain programs stopped...and thus dis-banded groups & teams that had been working on various issues for years, making it VERY hard to put them back together again, a simple but effective way to limit what is done. Bush is far less circumspect in his methods and goals, but he can do a lot of damage in 4 years with his "cost-benefit ratio" studies. You can guess what weight 'cost' & 'benefit' will have when it comes to arid old pieces of wilderness with coal under them.....