Interior Dept. Official Facing Scrutiny Resigns

Washington Post ^ | May 2, 2007 | Elizabeth Williamson

[Truth29]

Interior Dept. Official Facing Scrutiny Resigns

By Elizabeth Williamson Washington Post Staff Writer Wednesday, May 2, 2007; A05

A senior Bush political appointee at the Interior Department who revised scientific reports to minimize protection of endangered species has resigned, officials said yesterday. Julie A. MacDonald, deputy assistant secretary for fish, wildlife and parks, had been criticized by Interior's inspector general, and Congress was preparing to scrutinize her performance in an upcoming hearing. Interior Department spokesman Hugh Vickery confirmed MacDonald's resignation, delivered in a letter late Monday. Her departure came as the agency was discussing plans to demote her, said a person in the agency familiar with the matter. Vickery declined to comment on that possibility.

[TommyDale]

I suppose this reason for the resignation is much better than being one of the 10,000 people on the “Washington Madame”’s list!

[PeterPrinciple]

MacDonald often argued with and mocked career staff members and scientist reports for urging that species such as the white-tailed prairie dog and the Gunnison sage grouse be classified as threatened or endangered, documents showed. After reviewing a scientific report on the possibility that a proposed road might further degrade the sage grouse’s habitat, MacDonald wrote in the margin: “Has nothing to do with sage grouse. This belongs in a treatise on ‘Why roads are bad’?”

No bias in this article. Wish this person would have stayed. but then I can understand why he is tired of crap.

[Truth29]

Well, the article identifies the official as a her, so that would probably make her one of the Madam’s employees.

[TommyDale]

In Washington, no one is excluded.

[squarebarb]

Looks like we’re losing a good one.