It's hard to imagine what the history books will say about George W. Bush. Our world has changed tremendously since he became president, and the momentum of his presidency will continue to change the world after he's gone.

It's a given that Bush's legacy will be the Iraq War — this is the first image evoked when the name "Bush" is uttered, and the war's lasting impact will be essential to any U.S. or world history course of the future.

What other legacies will Bush leave? History books can't stop at just one legacy.

Clinton led the nation during a time of great prosperity. He also ordered a couple various air strikes while in office. He had a penchant for young female interns. He failed to track down Bin Laden. He's the husband of a 2008 presidential front-runner. He plays the saxophone. He "didn't inhale."

It is truly difficult to get past the war in talking about Bush, but here's my best effort: He takes long vacations. He is the son of a former president. His education policy has come under fire regularly. He has failed to track down Bin Laden. He won his first and second terms in office more narrowly than any two-term president in history. His inaction on environmental matters is putting the entire ecosystems at risk of collapse.

Wait, what?

Although positive attention has been given to Bush's stand on alternative energy sources and new fuel-efficiency standards lately, much of the President's environmental policy remains ambiguous or clearly in opposition to overall environmental health, and this may become another important theme in the Bush chapter of U.S. and world history.

Forget global warming for a moment — it's not going anywhere. Instead, consider the Endangered Species Act (ESA). As the health of several ESA populations has continued to deteriorate, Bush has made attempts to circumvent and even change the ESA.

For a particularly alarming example, turn to the Pacific Northwest and its salmon.

The Columbia River has a tragic environmental history. As noted biologist Jim Lichatowich writes in his book Salmon Without Rivers, "Historically, the Columbia produced more Chinook and Coho salmon and steelhead trout than any other river in the world." The free-flowing Columbia also supported millions of birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals.

Today, the stagnant river we know as the Columbia supports only a fraction of its historic biomass, and many species are extinct or endangered. At the root of most of these problems is hydroelectric development. The Columbia and its tributary Snake River each support an extensive network of hydroelectric dams.

Dams, even those with fish passage facilities, inhibit upstream migration of adult salmon returning to spawn, and inhibit downstream migration of juveniles heading to sea. They also eliminate spawning and rearing habitat by creating long stretches of stagnant water where rivers used to flow.

The ESA makes provisions for 13 species of salmon and steelhead in the Columbia, ordering federal agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to work toward reestablishing the depressed populations.

Since Bush took office, however, federal efforts have been relaxed. In fact, Bush submitted a proposal in 2004 that would actually reduce the obligation of the federal government to follow ESA mandates for the Columbia Basin dams.

An appeals court rejected that proposal last week, but it remains unclear what proactive steps will be taken to restore the health of the Columbia. It is becoming clear, however, that the Bush administration will not draft a solution.

Environmentally speaking, the Northwest is one of the more intact regions in the nation. The dismal status of some of our most valuable resources probably doesn't say much for the condition of other regions.

If Bush's contribution to environmental health is nothing more than a modest improvement in EPA standards and a little ethanol, his environmental legacy may contend with his Iraq legacy for the title of "Worst Legacy Ever."

As 2008 approaches, voters hoping to avoid another four years of environmental neglect and global warming will do well to strongly consider the environmental policy of the candidates they support.

Reach columnist Andrew D. Brown at opinion@thedaily.washington.edu.