Endangered Species Decisions Re-Examined

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Endangered Species Decisions Re-Examined
By JOHN HEILPRIN 07.19.07, 9:56 PM ET

WASHINGTON -

The director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service may keep a rare
jumping mouse in the Rocky Mountains on the endangered species
list after all.

The Preble's meadow jumping mouse, the Southwestern willow
flycatcher and several other species vying for survival could get
a new lease on life from the agency, whose director, H. Dale Hall,
is reviewing decisions affecting them, The Associated Press has
learned.

They are among the plants and animals affected by up to 10
decisions involving former Interior Department official Julie
MacDonald that might be reversed or modified, a government
official said Thursday night, speaking on condition of anonymity
because a decision had not yet been made.

MacDonald resigned in May as deputy assistant secretary for fish,
wildlife and parks after the department's inspector general found
that she had broken federal rules and should be punished for
bullying federal scientists and improperly leaking information
about endangered species to private groups.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/07/19/ap3934055.html

[TransitJohn]

1. That's gotta be

the Preble's Meadow jumping mouse....indigenous to my home county....amazing that this chick was found out.

[OnyxCollie]

2. Julie MacDonald, POS.nt

[Snazzy]

3. cpl good quotes

"We want to make sure that the science is true," Hall told reporters.

...

"It's a blemish, I believe, on the scientific integrity of the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of the Interior, so we're going to place a pretty high priority on trying to get those done," he said. "We wouldn't be doing them if we didn't at least suspect that the decision will be different. But I don't want to predetermine outcome."

Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, praised the Interior Department for "stepping up to the plate to begin addressing the 'politics trumps science' ploy endemic throughout this administration." His committee held a hearing on MacDonald's actions shortly after her resignation was announced.

"What we have learned to date raises concerns about political tinkering with science that has affected perhaps 100 endangered species-related decisions -- and goodness knows what else -- that deserve further scrutiny," Rahall said. His office later corrected that number from 100 to "many."