Wildlife Biologists Say Enviro Petition on Sage Grouse Is "Fundamentally Flawed" 5/18/2004
From: Jim Sims of the Partnership for the West, 303-278-4666 or jim@partnershipforthewest.org DENVER, Colo., May 18 -- Recently released analyses by two renowned wildlife biologists shows that a petition by environmental groups to list the Greater Sage Grouse as an endangered species is "not accurate and is fundamentally flawed in numerous key areas." "A careful review of this Petition leads to one simple conclusion: This Petition is not accurate and is fundamentally flawed in numerous key areas." The analyses examined the listing petition submitted last December by the American Lands Alliance and 18 other environmental groups. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service acted on the petition earlier this month in deciding to conduct a formal review of the status of the sage grouse. Leading the analysis of the original listing petition were Dr. Mark S. Boyce, Professor of Biological Sciences and Alberta Conservation Association Chair in Fisheries and Wildlife, University of Alberta, and Dr. Larry D. Hayden-Wing, of Hayden- Wing Associates, Laramie, Wyoming. Both are Ph.D. biologists with 25 and 27 years, respectively, in conducting research and impact assessments on sage grouse. The review team led by Dr. Hayden-Wing found the petition to be "fundamentally flawed in its foundational elements as well as in its examination and presentation of data and information." They found "flaws, errors, inaccuracies, contradictions, misstatements, misrepresentations, unsubstantiated positions and biased opinions so numerous that it would have been impossible to prepare a comprehensive list." "A careful review of this Petition leads to one simple conclusion: This Petition is not accurate and is fundamentally flawed in numerous key areas," the expert panel concluded. "Even the proponents of listing the Greater Sage Grouse are unable to support their position with credible scientific data. An ESA petition should be viable, reliable and accurate. There are pockets of truth in the Petition, but they are so intermixed with un-truths, distorted presentations, and lack of knowledge that they are difficult to find and separate out." A second review of the listing petition conducted by Dr. Boyce found the petition is filled with "gross overstatements," "blatant speculation," "theoretical rambling," and "misstatement of fact." He concluded: "My overall reaction to the petition is that the review of literature is not objective and so clearly is driven by an agenda that it damages the credibility of the entire document." "This scientific and independent review of the Greater Sage Grouse listing petition shows unequivocally that bad science has guided this process so far," according to Jim Sims, coordinator of the Greater Sage Grouse Conservation Task Force. "Given the conclusion of these experts that the listing petition represents unsound science, it is somewhat surprising that the federal government decided to continue with a costly and protracted second stage review of this petition." "Even if sound science shows someday that the Greater Sage Grouse is threatened by possible extinction, imposing the regulatory straightjacket of the Endangered Species Act on this situation would be the absolute worst thing for bird and for the people of the West," Sims said. "This law has proven to be nearly a total failure at its mission, which is to restore species to health," Sims said. "In the 30 years since it was enacted, ESA has notched a 99 percent failure rate at recovering species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's own data shows that only 12 of the law's roughly 1,300 protected species have recovered. That is a success rate of less than .01 percent. "This law is like a doctor who is so bad he puts 99 out of 100 patients in the hospital but never gets them healthy enough to check out and go home," Sims said. "I sure wouldn't subject my kids to this kind of medicine. "Those who want to see a federal takeover of state and local conservation efforts don't really care about the Sage Grouse as a species. If they did, they would be fighting for an ESA listing, which perversely discourages active conservation measures," Sims added. "These fringe activists really want to use this law to take away private property, run farmers off their land, stop all natural resource development, raise energy prices and turn back the clock on progress in the West." Download the following documents for further reference: -- A summary of the expert Review Team's findings. http://www.partnershipforthewest.org/sage_grouse_science_critique.pdf -- The full text of the Review Team's submission to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. http://www.partnershipforthewest.org/review_team_findings.pdf -- The full text of Dr. Boyce's review of the petition. http://www.partnershipforthewest.org/biologist_report.pdf The Task Force was organized and is coordinated by the Partnership for the West (http://www.partnershipforthewest.org/about.asp), an alliance of more than 375 companies, associations, coalitions and individuals who collectively employ or represent more than one million citizens across America in the following sectors: farm/ranching, coal, timber/wood products, small businesses, utilities, hard rock mining, oil and gas, construction, manufacturing, property rights advocates, education proponents, recreational access advocates, county government advocates, local, state and federal elected officials, grassroots advocates and others. |