Free Republic

Biologist Seeks Whistleblower Status By Don Thompson Associated Press Writer Saturday, October 26, 2002; 8:10 PM SACRAMENTO, Calif. –– A federal biologist who led the review of splitting water between farmers and fish in the Klamath Basin, site of a massive salmon kill, is seeking whistleblower protection, claiming his team was overruled in violation of the Endangered Species Act. National Marine Fisheries Service biologist Michael Kelly alleges his team's recommendations were rejected twice under "political pressure" as the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation imposed lower water levels than were scientifically justified as part of a 10-year water management plan.

<p>Fires continue to roar through the West, aided by drought and allegedly in some cases by arson. But as the damage stretches into a million acres and billions of dollars, other culprits are coming in focus -- especially the high-powered environmental groups that have dominated U.S. forest policy for at least a decade.</p>

Tuesday, July 2, 2002 Lawsuit Threat Complicates Thinning Plans By Brendan Smith Journal Staff Writer     A threatened lawsuit from environmentalist Sam Hitt could delay the thinning of the Santa Fe watershed, which is needed to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire and subsequent flooding.     State legislators on the Water and Natural Resources Committee heard Monday about the U.S. Forest Service plan to thin about 7,300 acres of the 17,384-acre watershed, which provides about 40 percent of the city's water supply from the Nichols and McClure reservoirs.     Hitt, who formed a group called Wild Watershed after leaving Forest...