Posted on 02/11/2002 8:45:55 AM PST by finnsheep
LYNX SCANDAL AFFECTS PA, NY AND THE NORTHEAST
When the Washington Times broke the story about federal and state wildlife biologists in the Pacific Northwest allegedly falsifying data regarding the presence of the Canada lynx in forests there, it sounded like another left coast phenomenon.
The truth of the matter is that under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), 16 states have been declared lynx "historic habitat" including Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. The ESA requires a national survey to be done to investigate the population of lynx in the habitat areas. It was the Washington State part of this survey that was allegedly falsified by federal and state wildlife biologists. The biologists are suspected of planting fake samples in the forests and submitting false samples to a laboratory from a pet lynx and a lynx in an animal sanctuary. The samples were supposed to have been collected in three National Forests in Washington State to make it appear that the Canada lynx was present there in order to restrict land use and development as well as to restrict recreational usage of National Forests.
United States Forest Service documents that can be found on the Forest Service website at http://www.fs.fed.us by typing in the search word "lynx" indicate that forest usage that biologists consider unfavorable to lynx include any type of recreational activity that would compact snow. Lynx' long legs and large paws give them an advantage over other predators like coyotes and bobcats in deep snow when they are in pursuit of their favorite food, snowshoe hare. Cross-country skiing, snowmobiling or even walking in the snow pack down snow paths that give coyotes an advantage over the lynx and are problematic activities according to the Forest Service. Ski resorts are a source of particular concern to the Forest Service.
Unpaved rural roads like so many of Pennsylvania's township roads, that lead through what may turn out to be lynx habitat may not be improved, straightened or upgraded. Certain forest production management practices such as thinning of trees and removal of large diameter woody debris may not be allowed even on private lands. Logging roads, according to the Forest Service, can provide access to human activities during warm weather that might disturb a mother lynx and her kittens.
While one of the reports admitted that very little is known about the lynx, biologists aren't shy about setting in stone what they extrapolate would be good for the lynx.
The spotted owl that caused so much controversy in the Pacific Northwest was first listed as threatened, like the Canada lynx, and then quickly listed as endangered. 11 million square miles of forest was placed off limits to logging. Lumber mills closed. Communities were devastated.
The lynx scandal began when a Forest Service whistle-blower called his supervisor in September 2000 about the phony lynx hair. His phone call was not returned for four months. The investigation finally began another six weeks later. Finally last June the investigation of the incident was concluded and the employees involved in the alleged phony data manufacture were not fired, but were taken off the lynx survey.
Due to the public outrage over the lynx survey, the Congress of the United States will be conducting hearings when it comes back into session to get to the bottom of the scandal.
.....the Congress of the United States will be conducting hearings when it comes back into session.....
Why am I not confident the enviro-whackos will be properly dealt with?
You can be sure that when congress gets into the act, we have reached bottom.
Yep, that's for sure.
ES, And responsibility for corruption and criminal action will again never be. Peace and love, George.
That should be 11 million acres. In any event, any animal that has been found over a range that covers 11 million acres is not threatened. I know two retired forest service managers who occupied high level staff positions in the forests covered by the lynx hoax. Both of them said the employees who committed this fraud should have been fired, at a minimum.
Something else they told me was amazing. Guess what is the biggest threat to spotted owls? Barn owls. If you hear spotted owls hooting and then a Barn owl hoot, the spotted owls shut up immediately. Next thing you know, the enviro-wackos will what to start tearing down barns in order to protect the spotted owl.
I'm kinda thinking that what this says is the government employees say that they planted the lynx hair to test the methodology involved in the DNA testing program, or they could just be playing CYA and lying their fool heads off.
Maybe these enviro-mental whackos should spend more time in the woods, and less time in their offices filing lawsuits and faking studies...
But the mountain lions (aka panther or jaguar) which are protected in the western states have no trouble finding them when they're looking for a snack!
Which is what was proven conclusively over a month ago.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.