Posted on 01/24/2002 3:21:46 PM PST by fivetoes
To: President George W. Bush, Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton, United States Congress, Western State Governors
Seven employees from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Forest Service and Washington state falsified data during a three year study of the habitat of the Canadian lynx in Washington state. They submitted hair samples from captive lynx and tried to pass them off as wild. None of the scientists were fired! They were sent to counseling and given different jobs.
The lynx survey would have been used to establish land-use rules in 16 states and 57 national forests. These agencies are falsifying species and habitat studies to stop logging, ranching, hunting, skiing, off road vehicle recreation and mining on the federal land. A federal listing could potentially bar millions of acres of land from public use. These agencies cannot be trusted to make fair or competent decisions about our nation's resources.
The investigation of the lynx survey has also raised the suspicion of data falsification on other species issues.
The spotted owl counts were taken by listening to their calls, not by sight. Rumors have it that environmentalists had learned to make the calls and positioned themselves in the woods during the counts.
The grizzly bear is currently listed as a threatened species, but environmentalists are pushing for endangered status. In March of 2001 a state fish and wildlife biologist asked a taxidermist for grizzly bear hair samples from a bear that was shot on a hunt in Alaska.
Canada lynx is native to Canada. Canada has such a thriving population it still allows trapping.
Representative Scott McInnis of Colorado has scheduled hearings, while several agencies are investigating how far the bio-fraud extended.
The Endangered Species Act has the power to prohibit the use of land, both public and private from commercial and recreational use based on scientific fact.
We encourage you to join Mr. McInnis in his pursuit of the truth in this matter.
We demand that there be a Congressional investigation into the validity of the data presented by Federal and State agencies in classifying species of animals as threatened or endangered.
If fraud is found to have been committed against the citizens of the United States we demand perpetrators of such fraud be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
This affects more people than ENRON and should be getting more publicity.
Now I understand what it was. The Fed employees faked the evidence to implement new regulations. Well, this is very similar to the EPA's "studies" about second hand smoke.
If the people can't trust these agencies to act honestly, these agencies shouldn't be around. This is important to GOP principles of responsibility, accountability, and limited government. If the people determine that a certain amount of land should be set aside to certain uses, it should be up to the people of the state. And even if they do decide it, it should be managed by a private company hired under competitive bidding -- with oversight by the state legislature.
so.. a long winded BUMP it shall be!
Grab the pdf and use it as a resource to write your congress critter or favorite new reporter. This really does need to be investigated. The only way it will be is to yell and scream about it. If the fraudulent taking of our public land does not interest you read no further, take no action.
Someday you will want to take your children or your grandchildren to a public forest and it will be off limits to humans to preserve the habitat for an animal that is NOT there.
Only if we fight for it I know that is not the way it is suppose to be, but it is the way that it is.
Stop Bio-fraud, Investigate ESA Input Data
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/biolynx/petition.html
ROFL.
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