| 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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