TPM Muckraker: Malfeasance At Fish and Wildlife Service

[Hissyspit]

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/002922.php

Today's Must Read
By Paul Kiel - March 30, 2007, 8:52 AM
The Justice Department is far from the only government agency troubled by politicization under the Bush administration. All you have to do is spin the wheel.

So today, it's the Fish and Wildlife Service! And at the center of it is one Julie A. MacDonald, appointed by Bush to be the deputy assistant secretary for fish and wildlife and parks at the Interior Department. The very ugly details of her malfeasance have been exposed by an inspector general report.

Ms. MacDonald, whose job is to oversee policy decisions on endangered species and other wildlife, sent internal agency documents to industry lobbyists (e.g. she twice sent "internal Environmental Protection Agency documents — one involving water quality management — to individuals whose e-mail addresses ended in 'chevrontexaco.com,") and generally ran roughshod over agency scientists.

Here's how she works: MacDonald just made stuff up. If scientists recommended a certain action, MacDonald would alter the recommendation or simply ignore it if it threatened industry or landowners in any way. Some examples of her scientific method:

MacDonald tangled with field personnel over designating habitat for the endangered Southwestern willow flycatcher, a bird whose range is from Arizona to New Mexico and Southern California. When scientists wrote that the bird had a "nesting range" of 2.1 miles, MacDonald told field personnel to change the number to 1.8 miles. Hall, a wildlife biologist who told the IG he had had a "running battle" with MacDonald, said she did not want the range to extend to California because her husband had a family ranch there.

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[Cass]

1. It will take years to undo the damage done to this nation by this bunch

of thugs.

Hall, a wildlife biologist who told the IG he had had a "running battle" with MacDonald, said she did not want the range to extend to California because her husband had a family ranch there.

It just never ends with these people. :mad:

[formercia]

5. Translation:

she owns a ranch there.

what bullshit.

[The Stranger]

2. Why isn't this person arrested?

[salin]

3. note the part where the scientist pushed back - wanted her to write out

(ala document) her concerns/demands for a change. Only then did she back off that item.

[myrna minx]

4. Gawd, their tentacles are just everywhere!

:banghead: