Although endangered species is not a subject that I spend time on, I would like to direct you to a news release by US Fish and Wildlife Service . It shows how much the politics play on every decisions made on or about planet earth. As if you did not know! But it surprise me every time.
The Interior Department said Friday that it would review and probably overturn eight decisions on wildlife and land-use issues made by a senior political appointee, Julie A. MacDonald, who has been found to have improperly favored industry and landowners over agency scientists.
The conflict between science and political ideology has been a recurrent theme in Washington in recent years, with complaints arising from inside and outside the administration about decisions on oil exploration, timber rights, global warming and public health. Just last week, the former surgeon general Richard H. Carmona said top Bush administration officials had repeatedly tried to water down or suppress important public health reports for political considerations.
The species that could receive additional protection are the white-tailed prairie dog, Preble’s meadow jumping mouse, 12 species of Hawaiian picture-wing flies, the arroyo toad, the Southwestern willow flycatcher, the California red-legged frog and the Canada lynx. The extent of Rocky Mountain habitat protection for the jumping mouse is also under review.
Environmental advocates said numerous cases of potential political interference by Ms. MacDonald or others in the department were left off the list of decisions to be reviewed. They cited as examples decisions affecting the status of the marbled murrelet, a small sea bird found in the Pacific Northwest; a plan to help speed the spotted owl’s recovery; and the habitat of the bull trout.
NY Times article. (Archived articles may require you to register)
No comments:
Post a Comment