Endangered Species Scandal

[Hill]

Kempthorne gets the rubber Dodo award for record drought of species listings.

Center for Biological Diversity - Press Release

 

Par for the course - unfortunately. From the article:

“Kempthorne is eminently deserving of the first annual Rubber Dodo award,” said Kieran Suckling, policy director of the Center for Biological Diversity, which administers the award. “His refusal to protect a single imperiled species in more than 15 months gives him the worst record of any interior secretary in the history of the Endangered Species Act. His policies should go the way of the dodo as soon as possible.”

“Political appointees like Kempthorne come and go, but extinction is forever. No politician has the right to destroy the future of an endangered species.”

This whole mind set began with Ronald "You've seen one redwood tree, you've seen them all" Reagan. Of course he was the guy who appointed James "After the last tree is felled, Christ will come back" Watt.

 

James G. Watt - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[freeztar]

Par for the course - unfortunately. From the article:

This whole mind set began with Ronald "You've seen one redwood tree, you've seen them all" Reagan. Of course he was the guy who appointed James "After the last tree is felled, Christ will come back" Watt.

 

James G. Watt - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Thanks for bringing him to my attention. I'm relatively young and di not know of him. He gives me the chills!

 

From the wiki:

During a March 1991 dinner event organized by the Green River Cattlemen's Association in Wyoming, Watt said, "If the troubles from environmentalists cannot be solved in the jury box or at the ballot box, perhaps the cartridge box should be used."[18][19]

 

:hihi:

In a 2001 interview, Watt applauded the Bush administration energy strategy and said their prioritization of production above conservation is just what he recommended in the early 1980s.[20] "Everything Cheney's saying, everything the president's saying - they're saying exactly what we were saying 20 years ago, precisely ... Twenty years later, it sounds like they've just dusted off the old work."[20] Left-wing environmental groups concur that Bush's policies are similar to Watt's.[21][20].

 

Seems it is par for the course. :(

I just don't get it. :hihi:

[freeztar]

The one positive thing I recall W doing is to create the Hawaiian Marine Reserve in 2006.

Source: Hawaiian Marine Reserve To Be World's Largest

 

It's a positive step but...

 

1) It's almost inaccessible which, considering to desire to protect the area isn't bad.

2) The current administration has a history of making grand pronouncements, then underfunding then. So it looks good on paper, but will require no upkeep and may get no actual funds to enforce the new designation.

3) A search of the web shows no further mention of it.

 

I guess it's one place he could designate without ticking off any big business interests (no timber, no minerals, no oil or gas) - only 8 Hawai'ian fishermen.

 

Here's a good link:

65th Anniversary of the Battle of Midway

 

In August 2006, the agencies published joint regulations to implement the President’s proclamation and ensure resource protection. In April 2007, the U.S. submitted proposals to the International Maritime Organization that, if implemented, will help to reduce threats to the monument posed by international shipping. Recently, the co-trustees agreed on a joint permitting system that will increase efficiency for applicants. In addition, the State of Hawai‘i, with the support of NOAA and FWS, submitted an application nominating the monument to be considered for the U.S. World Heritage Tentative List.

(emphasis mine)

 

So, it is a Marine "Reserve" in the sense that it is reserved for applicants.

But hey, it's a LOT better than nothing. I'd love to visit there. Cheers for the Admin doing one thing right!

 

On the policing issue, at least one offender has been corralled:

http://www.hawaiireef.noaa.gov/news/releases/pdfs/FirstFederalCase_082107.pdf

 

The endangered Hawaiian Monk Seals stand to benefit:

http://www.hawaiireef.noaa.gov/news/releases/pdfs/NOAA_MonkRecoveryPlan07.pdf

[TheBigDog]

Lunacy in environmental policy cuts both ways... From USATODAY.com - Woodpecker halts Ark. irrigation project

 

LITTLE ROCK — A federal judge temporarily stopped construction on a $320 million irrigation project Thursday, ruling the changes could disturb the habitat of a woodpecker that might or might not be extinct.

 

...

 

The last confirmed sighting of the woodpecker in North America was in 1944, and scientists had thought the species was extinct until a kayaker said he saw one in early 2004 near the White River in the big woods of eastern Arkansas. The report caused a sensation in scientific circles and has attracted people from all over the world who hope to see the bird.

 

Ornithologists caught on tape a flicker of what they believed was the bird but announced this year they couldn't prove conclusively that the woodpecker still lives.

 

The Army Corps of Engineers began building the Grand Prairie Irrigation Project last year, about 14 miles from where the bird was reportedly spotted.

 

...

 

A Justice Department lawyer said this year that a one-month delay would cost the Corps as much as $264,000, and that a six-month wait would cost $3 million.

 

The judge on Thursday said the Corps and the Interior Department must conduct further studies before proceeding.

 

The agencies must evaluate any ivory-bill nests and forage sites within 2 1/2 miles of the construction project. They also must identify and inspect for nesting, roosting and foraging all trees a foot or more across in the areas to be affected by eventual changes in water levels, Wilson said.

 

The Corps had conducted a study showing the project would not significantly harm the woodpecker's habitat, but the environmental groups suing it said the study was too narrow and did not comply with the Endangered Species Act.

Because there has been one unconfirmed sighting of the bird after 62 years some 14 miles from the site, they must inspect every potential roosting tree in a nearly 20 square mile area for evidence of the extinct bird. And even if the bird is there the study says that it will not be affected by the project, although scientists who have never studied a live specimen feel the noise may annoy it.

 

Who is the big business behind this conspiracy?

 

Bill

[freeztar]

Lunacy in environmental policy cuts both ways... From USATODAY.com - Woodpecker halts Ark. irrigation project

 

 

Because there has been one unconfirmed sighting of the bird after 62 years some 14 miles from the site, they must inspect every potential roosting tree in a nearly 20 square mile area for evidence of the extinct bird. And even if the bird is there the study says that it will not be affected by the project, although scientists who have never studied a live specimen feel the noise may annoy it.

 

Who is the big business behind this conspiracy?

 

Bill

 

I agree that the potential fiscal damage that was served by the judge is atrocious. I also agree that it is somewhat arrogant for scientists to claim rights to a possibly extinct species. Furthermore, I agree with your basic premise that "lunacy in environmental policy cuts both ways".

 

Nonetheless, the ivory-billed woodpecker is/was an amazing bird.

 

Here's an article that cites several eye(ear)-witness accounts.

Arkansas Times

 

Formal inter-agency consultation in regards to Section 7 and 10 of the ESA ultimately determines the actions taken.

 

Here's a nice blurb from the FWS:

The action by Secretary Norton and Secretary Johanns came in response to news from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, The Nature Conservancy, and other members of the Big Woods Conservation Partnership that they had collected primary and secondary evidence of the bird's existence in the Cache River National Wildlife Refuge. The primary evidence consists of video footage, while the secondary evidence consists of seven eye-witness sightings and audio evidence of the Ivory-billed woodpecker. In addition, recordings of the distinctive double rap of the bird are still under analysis. After conducting its own peer reviews of the evidence, the journal Science is now publishing these findings.

4/28/2005~Once-thought Extinct Ivory-Billed Woodpecker Rediscovered in Arkansas

 

So perhaps it's not so crazy after all. :hihi:

[Hill]

Lunacy in environmental policy cuts both ways... From USATODAY.com - Woodpecker halts Ark. irrigation project

 

 

Because there has been one unconfirmed sighting of the bird after 62 years some 14 miles from the site, they must inspect every potential roosting tree in a nearly 20 square mile area for evidence of the extinct bird. And even if the bird is there the study says that it will not be affected by the project, although scientists who have never studied a live specimen feel the noise may annoy it.

 

Who is the big business behind this conspiracy?

 

I don't believe it is so much inspecting every tree, but protecting the available habitat until we are as sure as possible that the Ivorybill does not exist there any more. The riparian forests there have actually increased from their lows of decades ago. Perhaps the Ivorybill survives still. The Corps of Engineers has cleaned up their image recently, but their projects in the past often did lots of environmental damage. I'm still no fan. They can wait for a bit.

 

Here's the evidence they have > Ivory-billed Woodpecker

[freeztar]

The Corps of Engineers has cleaned up their image recently, but their projects in the past often did lots of environmental damage. I'm still no fan. They can wait for a bit.

 

I have zero sympathy for the Corps. The obfuscation of the CWA and the regulations delegated to the Army are examples of why we have such a dismal environmental situation in the US. The CoE has decided to interpret the courts' rulings (Rapanos and Carabell) conjunctively with FWS. The end result is an interpretation that leaves doors wide open. When is a stream ephemeral? How should roadside ditches be treated? etc...etc...etc...

 

The Corps does a lot of good work, but like any Gov entity, there are pitfalls.

[freeztar]

The spotted owl....a creature that has probably caused the most amount of conflict than any other endangered species. Apparently the battle continues and scientists are outraged.

 

washingtonpost.com

[Hill]

The spotted owl....a creature that has probably caused the most amount of conflict than any other endangered species. Apparently the battle continues and scientists are outraged.

 

washingtonpost.com - nation, world, technology and Washington area news and headlines

 

I rarely can get through the paper without reading about at least one new environmental policy that highlights the anti-environmental priorities of this administration.

 

Unfortunately, the Bush administration's assault on the environment will continue directly for some time and longer still because of legislation and decisions made now that will exist after he leaves office.

 

The problem remains with the way endangered species are added to the list and protected. What should be protected are endangered habitats, which would be identified by unique and rare plant and animal species which are unique to them.

 

Many attempts to preserve unique species have been successful. Unfortunately there are frequent assaults on the protections. So if a battle is won, another is initiated. All it takes is one battle lost and the habitat and its unique marker species are gone forever.

[freeztar]

The problem remains with the way endangered species are added to the list and protected. What should be protected are endangered habitats, which would be identified by unique and rare plant and animal species which are unique to them.

 

I agree that this would be the wisest approach and is in fact the approach most often taken by the Nature Conservancy.

 

More political agenda crap...

BUSH ADMINISTRATION TO SLASH PROTECTED HABITAT FOR ENDANGERED PENINSULAR BIGHORN

 

On October 10, 2007, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in line with the Bush administration's status quo for species non-protection, proposed severely restricting critical habitat for the Peninsular Ranges desert bighorn sheep (Center for Biological Diversity - Press Release - Bush Administration to Slash Half of Protected Habitat for Endangered Peninsular Bighorn Sheep).

The new critical habitat proposal would reduce by nearly 55 percent the area that the agency determined in 2001 was crucial for the survival and recovery of this highly endangered animal.

Joan Taylor of the Coachella Valley Sierra Club put it this way:

"Nothing is different about bighorn biology since the original critical habitat determination, but the politics have changed.

What the administration has basically done is to cave to special development interests, and the bighorn have taken the shaft in the process."

 

The Fish and Wildlife Service is accepting public comments on the new proposal until December 10, 2007. You can submit your comments regarding the severe restriction of Peninsular Ranges bighorn sheep critical habitat by sending an email to [email protected].

[Cedars]

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Tuesday reversed seven rulings that denied endangered species increased protection, after an investigation found the actions were tainted by political pressure from a former senior Interior Department official.

 

Rulings reversed to help species - Environment

 

Its good to see they are looking into these things and reversing some decisions. I did not know this piece (or had forgotten it):

 

"In her three years on the job, MacDonald also was heavily involved in delisting the Sacramento splittail, a fish found only in California's Central Valley where she owned an 80-acre farm on which the fish live."

[freeztar]

It's good to see some good news in this thread for a change, thanks for the news Cedars! :shade:

[freeztar]

And some more good news. The sage grouse will most likely become listed as a judge orders the FWS to review the decision not to list it.

Judge: Government must reconsider sage grouse protections

 

"They separated out the science from the decision and that's fundamentally flawed. This ruling is just one more court ruling saying that the Bush administration is not following the Endangered Species Act," said Laird Lucas

[palmtreepathos]

Originally Posted by Hill

The problem remains with the way endangered species are added to the list and protected. "What should be protected are endangered habitats", which would be identified by unique and rare plant and animal species which are unique to them

Is it too late to turn this around? Large commercial mono-cropped farms are in the cross-hairs. With smaller farms(endangered habitats) that sustain higher yields and diversity of creatures all but none existant, there really isn't much hope to be seen.

Why Are the Birds Disappearing? - Articles

[freeztar]

Is it too late to turn this around? Large commercial mono-cropped farms are in the cross-hairs. With smaller farms(endangered habitats) that sustain higher yields and diversity of creatures all but none existant, there really isn't much hope to be seen.

Why Are the Birds Disappearing? - Articles

 

Aye, not much hope. Yet, we must be the fountains of hope. The world needs it, and it will increase.

 

Nobody cares about the mole.

[Cedars]

Is it too late to turn this around? Large commercial mono-cropped farms are in the cross-hairs. With smaller farms(endangered habitats) that sustain higher yields and diversity of creatures all but none existant, there really isn't much hope to be seen.

Why Are the Birds Disappearing? - Articles

 

An interesting video with some legitimate points. One thing I would like to point out is some of the birds mentioned migrate to areas under huge stresses from humans, the warblers come to mind. Many of these guys migrate to areas in the carribean and are suffering greatly from the loss of habitat there. Millions go south and dont return in the spring. Thats not the result of monoculture farming practices in canada.

 

Heres another example:

Swainson's Hawks - Conservation Issues - Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota

[freeztar]

It seems the border fence has halted a recovery plan for the jaguar. Illegal immigrants aren't the only ones using that corridor. :fly:

 

The Interior Department has abandoned attempts to craft a recovery plan for the endangered jaguar because too few of the rare cats have been spotted along the Southwest region of New Mexico and Arizona to warrant such action.

 

 

Some critics of the decision said Thursday the jaguar is being sacrificed for the government's new border fence, which is going up along many of the same areas where the cat has crossed into the United States from Mexico.

 

 

If the U.S. border areas were designated critical recovery areas for the jaguar, then it would constrain the Homeland Security Department in building the fence, said Kieran Suckling, policy director of the Center for Biological Diversity.

US Abandons Bid for Jaguar Recovery Plan