* Obama tells agencies to consult scientists before acting

* Environmentalists praise move to reverse late Bush order

By Jeff Mason

WASHINGTON, March 3 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Tuesday directed U.S. government agencies to consult with scientists before taking action that could harm endangered species, rolling back last-minute rules put forward by former President George W. Bush.

Obama, a Democrat who has spent much of his first six weeks in office undoing policies of his Republican predecessor, signed a memo urging agencies such as the Department of Transportation to consult with government scientists before pursuing projects that could hurt threatened animals.

The Bush administration had proposed to let those agencies decide on their own whether their activities, such as building highways and dams, posted such a threat.

Obama took a shot at his predecessor when announcing the move during a visit with employees at the Department of the Interior earlier in the day.

"Today I've signed a memorandum that will help restore the scientific process to its rightful place at the heart of the Endangered Species Act, a process undermined by past administrations," Obama said to applause.

"The work of scientists and experts in my administration ... will be respected. For more than three decades, the Endangered Species Act has successfully protected our nation's most threatened wildlife, and we should be looking for ways to improve it -- not weaken it."