Julie Ends Her “Fishy” Performance

The New York Times reported today that Julie MacDonald of the Fish and Wildlife Service resigned on Monday. And at this point, is it really a surprise to point out that a member of Bushco appointed to a regulatory position was accused of handing over “internal agency documents to industry lobbyists” and “riding roughshod over scientists”?

As the Times story notes…

Among other actions that drew the ire of wildlife biologists and lawyers, Ms. MacDonald had heavily edited biologists’ reports on sage grouse, a species that in the end was not placed on the threatened or endangered lists. Their habitat overlaps with vast parts of the Rocky Mountain West, where oil and gas drilling and cattle ranching are prevalent; listing the grouse as endangered or threatened could have curbed those industries’ access to federal lands.

In another case in the inspector general’s report, Ms. MacDonald demanded that scientists reduce the nesting range for the Southwest willow flycatcher to a radius of 1.8 miles, from a 2.1-miles, so it would not cross into California, where her husband has a ranch.

And according to the Union of Concerned Scientists, as noted here…

A February 2005 UCS survey of scientists at the Fish and Wildlife Service found pervasive political interference in science at the agency. Two thirds of those who responded to the survey - 303 scientists - were aware of cases in which Interior Department political appointees interfered with scientific findings. Eighty-four scientists reported that they were directed to inappropriately exclude or alter technical information from agency scientific documents.

By the way, the mission statement of the Fish and Wildlife Service states as follows (from here)…

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's mission is, working with others, to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.

Please try not to laugh too hard.