save the wolves

My favorite site about Internet Petitions is right here.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(barbaram @ Jul 28 2007, 09:39 PM) [snapback]486902[/snapback]</div>

Endangered Species Act under review.

"H. Dale Hall, the agency's director, on Friday ordered a review of eight endangered species decisions in which former deputy assistant secretary Julie MacDonald was involved."

"In her post, MacDonald oversaw Fish and Wildlife and the National Park Service. In March, the Interior Department's inspector general rebuked MacDonald for pressuring scientists to alter their findings about endangered species and leaking information about them to industry officials. In May, she resigned."

"Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, praised the Interior Department for "stepping up to the plate to begin addressing the 'politics trumps science' ploy endemic throughout this administration." His committee held a hearing on MacDonald's actions shortly after her resignation was announced.

"What we have learned to date raises concerns about political tinkering with science that has affected perhaps 100 endangered species-related decisions — and goodness knows what else — that deserve further scrutiny," Rahall said. His office later corrected that number from 100 to "many.""

"Environmentalists noted that Hall was agreeing to review only about a third of the cases in which misconduct by MacDonald was alleged.

"While we welcome the revisiting of decisions where political interference has been documented, the list of species under consideration is neither comprehensive nor exhaustive," said Francesca Grifo, director of the Union of Concerned Scientists' integrity program.

"The real culprit here is not a renegade political appointee." Grifo said. "The real culprit is a process where decisions are made behind closed doors.""