A Vital Deadline.(private land development rules and protection of endangered animal species)(Brief article)

Byline: Barrett Sheridan

America's endangered Species Act, passed in 1973, outlawed activities likely to harm endangered animals. Banning development on private land--which is home to 90 percent of endangered beasts--was one new measure expected to boost the animals' chances of survival.

It doesn't appear to have worked. A recent study of private land by a group of economists led by John List at the University of Chicago reveals that when landowners hear that U.S. wildlife authorities plan to add an animal to the endangered list, they tend to cash in on their investment by building on their property while they still can, damaging a precious potential habitat. They have bureaucracy to thank: the lag time between the publication of new maps locating endangered species and the area's official designation as a no-development zone can last ...