MISSING LYNX (John Stossel TONIGHT!)

ABC News ^ | Aug. 2, 2002 | John Stossel

[madfly]

	Government biologists admitted faking a study monitoring the presence of Canada lynx in southern Washington state. (ABCNEWS.com)	Missing Lynx Are Animals More Important Than People? Commentary By John Stossel Aug. 2 — "We need water! We need water!" That's the refrain from farmers up in Klamath Falls, Ore. Their fields have dried up, and some farmers have even lost their farms — all because of a fish known as the short-nosed sucker.

There's a lake full of water in Klamath Falls, but last year the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ordered the irrigation gates from the lake closed — meaning 1,000 farmers could not water their crops.

The agency's bureaucrats closed the gates because the short-nosed sucker, one of the fish found in the lake, is listed as endangered. There are lots of sucker fish in America, but the bureaucrats decided this species of suckers needed protection. They said keeping a certain amount of water in the lake was critical to the suckers' survival.

"They're stealing these people's land. It's not right," said one man at a protest rally last summer. "Give 'em their water back! You're destroying lives here!"

The farmers' neighbors came to their aid. Breaking the law, they jumped a fence and opened the floodgates.

Then the police came and stood watch while the bureaucrats closed the gates again. The police stayed all summer guarding the valves.

"They are destroying 1,400 families over a fish that is not really even in trouble out here," said another man at the protest.

Not even in trouble? Well, oops, it turns out that as far as water levels go, that's true. The National Research Council now says the sucker didn't need as much water as the government environmentalists claimed. The farmers could have had some of their precious water.

So did Fish and Wildlife apologize to the farmers? No.The farmers say government's biologists don't seem very concerned about people.

"This country has placed more value upon a fish than on its own citizens," said farmer Stan Thompson.

Lynx Study Irks Locals

Really? Government wildlife experts would value animals over humans? Maybe. After all, look what they did with the Canada lynx. The lynx is an explosive issue. An environmental group even burned down a ski lodge in Vail because they thought it might threaten the lynx.

There are tens of thousands of these adorable animals throughout North America, but because the bureaucrats weren't sure there were any of them in southern Washington state, they commissioned $1 million study to find out.

To try to lure the lynx they hung shiny pans from trees. They placed pieces of carpet soaked with a catnip mixture on the trees, hoping the lynx would then rub up against them and leave some fur. Sure enough, the samples the biologists sent to the lab contained hairs from a Canada Lynx.

Finding a threatened species can set in motion a series of events that can wreck your life if you're a rancher or farmer, and spoil a vacation if you're someone who wants to drive into the woods. "Area closed" can be the result when endangered species are found. Ranchers worried that the lynx could do to them what the sucker fish did to the farmers in Klamath Falls.

"It would have definitely jeopardized my family operation, put us out of business," said one Washington rancher, Neil Kaiser.

Lots of people in southern Washington are scared of the government's environmental police.

"We basically say if you have an endangered species in your area, we are going to take your livelihood away, we're going to destroy your communities, and we're going to make it very difficult for your families to survive," said Mike Paulson, a local land rights activist.

That didn't happen in this case because it turned out the government's biologist faked the tests. The lynx hair sent to the lab came from a lynx who lived in a cage at a tourist attraction where people pay $8 to see animals — miles away from where the biologists claimed they found the hair.

"The only reason that this came to light is because a retiring employee... blew the whistle," said Jim Beers, a retired biologist who was with the Department of Fish and Wildlife for 30 years. Beers says he's seen his agency change from promoting science to pushing fanatical environmentalism.

"The agencies today are staffed with environmental radical activists," he told me, adding that these activists do not want people to use the forests.

Keeping Forests Clear of People

Beers says that one way to keep the forest free of people is to find endangered species.

"Once you establish that there are any lynx in the area and you say there were some lynx over in this area or there, the areas in between suddenly become very urgent to not allow the road to be built, not allow the ski slope to come in... not allow grazing... ultimately, not to let you or I drive our wives and kids in for a picnic," Beers said.

The government agencies involved wouldn't talk to us about any of this, but they do call the conduct of the biologists "unacceptable" and "not authorized."

That sounds serious. So were the biologists then fired? No. When do governments fire anybody? The biologists were verbally counseled; they still have jobs.

The biologists also have an explanation; they say they weren't trying to cheat, they were just testing the labs to make sure they could identify lynx fur. The locals don't buy that.

"That's not even a good excuse," said Barbara Paulson, Mike Paulson's wife and a writer for the Franklin County Graphic in southeastern Washington. "They should think of something better than that."

"It's not a mistake. It's dishonesty," said Mike Paulson.

Beers doesn't buy it either.

"That's the same as you telling me that you caught them walking out of the bank with money and they said, 'Oh, we were just seeing if the system works here, we were going to return it tomorrow,'" he said.

It makes me wonder what other parts of their science we don't know the truth about.

When extremists get to give orders with the power of government, then everyone's freedom is at risk. Give me a break.

[sistergoldenhair]

Thanks!

[kcpopps]

I would have missed this - thanks for the post!

[Leisler]

That is why you should run you tires at 15 pounds of air. You can then chase the critters over soft, wet fields that normally would get you stuck. I've found that they usually slow down once they leave the hadtop and and are quite surprised when you follow. If the field is big enough and you keep your speed up, they'll "tire" and you can get'em.

Don't do this with a fresh, hot and large coffee in the cup holder. It goes everywhere.

[Sungirl]

"The agencies today are staffed with environmental radical activists," he told me, adding that these activists do not want people to use the forests.

So they are using the animals as an excuse....But... why wouldn't they want people to be able to use the forests? Just want your sincere reasons.

[Sungirl]

I've found that they usually slow down once they leave the hadtop and and are quite surprised when you follow. If the field is big enough and you keep your speed up, they'll "tire" and you can get'em.

COOL! How many have you gotten?

[Boyd]

JS tries. He is one of the few.

[rightofrush]

...why wouldn't they want people to be able to use the forests?

Them city folks are easier to manage and have fewer places to hide their guns.

Really.

[brat]

"but they do call the conduct of the biologists "unacceptable" and "not authorized." "

Why aren't these people doing time? Its fraud, isn't it?

[vikingchick]

Waiting. Waiting. Barbara Walters and her gentle male counterpart talk soooo sloooowly, like they're talking to kindergartners.

[Hoosier-Daddy]

Nope, it's the tree hugging humans you have to worry about. The animals couldn't give a sh*t. Just ask the caribou in Alaska who live near the pipeline - it's a nice warm place to snuggle up against during those cold winter nights. Wrong again enviros. BTW tree huggers, thanks again for your policies nearly burning down our state (AZ). Just like the Marxists - the theories SOUND great, until reality shows your theories go against nature and you have to use the end of a gun to enforce your ideas, e.g. Klamath Falls. But then again, you know better than us stupid peons, right?

[Timesink]

What I can't figure out is how in the hell Stossel keeps his job at ABCNews? He must have dirt on someone!

He has no dirt. In fact, he's the most despised correspondent at ABCNEWS, at least by the other reporters and anchors; they'd love to see him fired yesterday. The problem for them is that the executives LOVE him. He gets big ratings, and that equals big money. So unless he decides to leave of his own accord, he's going to still be plugging away with the truth at ABC long after his haters fade away.

[Timesink]

Why aren't these people doing time? Its fraud, isn't it?

I think it's getting to the point where conservatives are going to have to start using the legal system in a brutal slash-and-burn fashion against the Environazis. For example, if the government won't do anything to punish these criminals, then dozens, if not hundreds, of citizens living in the Faux-Linx area should file civil suits against the Fish and Wildlife Service, as well as the criminals AS INDIVIDUALS. Sue both the service and the individuals for many many millions of dollars, using all the usual liberal trial lawyer tricks in the book: Sue for emotional distress. Sue for embarrassment. Sue for civil rights violations. Sue for mental anguish. Sue for everything you can possibly think of. I don't know if you'd be able to get the F&WS, but you could make things very very horrible for the criminals and their families for years to come. And, of course, if a single person wins their case against the criminals, they and their families will be DESTROYED PERMANENTLY. Nobody on a government salary, not even a G-14, can afford to pay off a $5 million judgement against them.

Of course, it would be up to the plaintiff to decide how far to take it. They could simply play the game and put the fear of God into these Nazis once they think everything they've ever owned is going to be auctioned off and they'll never be able to feed their kids again, and then just make some sort of deal post-trial. You could, for example, simply offer the following: The criminals would agree to rat out everything they know - EVERYTHING - about corruption and extremism at the F&WS to the FBI; agree to move at least 1000 miles away from the area; and agree to get a job in a different field and never have anything to do with political environmentalism or "environmental studies" ever again for the rest of their lives ... not even so much as a single "I like bunnies" post on DUh or a $5 donation to the Sierra Club. Then if they'd agree to all that, you'd waive all the award money except for court costs.

Once something like that happened four or five times, this sort of BS would start drying up REAL fast. We know these people are nothing if not cowards. Right now, IMHO, a lot of this is happening because we allow it to happen to us. Because we throw up our hands, say "it's the government, what can you do?" and do nothing. (Klamath generally excepted, but have any true slash-and-burn lawsuits been filed in that case?)

[Valin]

Coming soon to a town near you. Green Anarchy
Tour 2002


New Orleans Aug. 3
Gainsville...??? Aug. 4
Atlanta Aug. 5
Asheville Aug. 6
D.C. Aug. 7
Baltimore Aug. 8
Philly Aug. 9
NY Aug. 10
Boston Aug. 11
Portland, Maine Aug. 12
Syracuse Aug. 13
Pittsburg Aug. 14
Cleveland Aug. 15
Detriot Aug. 16
Chicago Aug. 17
Madison Aug. 18
Milwaukee Aug. 19
Minneapolis Aug. 20
Des Moines Aug. 21
Omaha Aug. 22
Rapid City Aug. 23
W. Yellowstone Aug. 24
Missoula Aug. 25
Boise Aug. 26

[demlosers]

This guy is bound to get fired from ABC with all his recent work.

Two reasons why Stossel won't get fired:

1. Ratings
2. And a competitor would hire Stossel which would cause the "double whammy effect." ABC would lose Stossels audience plus whoever they place in the same tv time slot would lose also.

[PLK]

But... why wouldn't they want people to be able to use the forests? Just want your sincere reasons.

Because it is consecrated and sacred to those who worship nature. To enter it is to despoil it. Humans are bad, animals and nature are good. And I AM being sincere. It is what these whackos believe.

[Dark Knight]

Sorry, public employees that get sued get endemnified by the government. They will not have any consequence as long as the action is within the scope of their job duties. Malice and negligence I believe are not covered but if their bosses like the decision, then emdemnification is a given.

DK

[dixiechick2000]

I read this post yesterday, but wanted to watch it before I responded.
Stossel's report was awesome!

Thanks for calling it to my attention. I never watch 20/20, but I'm glad I didn't miss this!

[madfly]

It was great. Funny how JS was able to find all that great footage of the Klamath Farmers and the Feds. Good shot of a guy climbing the fence. Geee, ABC, why weren't you on the scene or reporting this travesty last year?

I think Stossel does do more good on ABC. He has a way of keeping in simple. He can keep the attention of the dumbed down liberals and hopefully leave them with something to think about.

[madfly]

bttt

[buffyt]

Really? Government wildlife experts would value animals over humans?

Yes and it is Satanic. Study the Occult and Satanism, and that is what you learn. It is earth first, then animals, then humans last in importance. WHY? It is the exact opposite of the way God Created it.