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Scientists take to the Hill over administration's interference with endangered species |
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Two dozen scientists came to Capitol Hill this week to meet with
lawmakers over what they say is the Bush administration interfering
with environmental scientists.
Researchers organized by the Union of Concerned Scientists and the
Endangered Species Coalition won time with more than 20 lawmakers this
week to speak out against the role political appointees at the Interior
Department have taken in designating "critical habitats" for endangered
species.
Francesca Grifo, director of the Scientific
Integrity Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists in Washington,
called the administration's interference "the systematic dismantling of
the Endangered Species Act through the manipulation and suppression of
science."
The scientists accuse the appointees of altering
the reports to favor industries whose interests conflict with the
reports' findings.
They singled out Julie A. MacDonald, the former deputy assistant secretary for fish, wildlife and parks at Interior.
MacDonald
resigned in May after a scathing report by Interior Inspector General
Earl Devaney found she violated ethics rules, edited scientific
decisions on endangered species issues and passed internal agency
information to outside parties suing the department.
The
Fish and Wildlife Service announced in November it would revise seven
rulings that denied endangered species listings or limited critical
habitat designations because MacDonald inappropriately influenced the
decisions
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