Statement Of The Year

I laughed until I fell out of my chair yesterday when I read an article in the Billings Gazette about a judge who has ordered the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reconsider putting the sage grouse on the endangered species list. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill made this decision after reviewing previous information that was used by former USFWS employee Julie MacDonald who has been accused of using strong-arm tactics among other things to keep some areas not declared critical habitat for certain wildlife species. Habitat for the sage grouse was declared not critical by MacDonald.

So, let me explain what was so funny. I’m not going to get into the debate about the sage grouse but what was funny was a quote written in the Billings Gazette that Judge Winmill said.

The judge “makes it very clear that political tampering in what’s supposed to be a science-based decision is wrong,”

When was the last time any decision dealing with the Endangered Species Act was science-based? Is this judge living in a vacuum? I sure wish that these decision could be made based on science and not political agendas. That’s how the ESA is supposed to work but unfortunately wildlife science was tossed out the window several years ago. Now we have lawyers and Disney wildlife managers using their financial backing to strong-arm fish and wildlife in order to achieve their own goals.

Wouldn’t it be nice if just once a judge would rule that science trumps money?

This statement is the first recipient of the Black Bear Blog’s “Pile of Horse Excrement Award”

Tom Remington