FWS Acknowledges "Inappropriate Influence" In Decision-Making; Actions Insufficient to Restore Scientific Integrity to Policy Making
From the Union of Concerned Scientists:
Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced that it would review a small number of the Endangered Species Act decisions in which disgraced former Interior Department Deputy Assistant Secretary for Wildlife and Parks Julie MacDonald had participated, acknowledging for the first time that MacDonald had "inappropriate influence" over endangered species science.Numerous investigations found that MacDonald, a political appointee with no relevant scientific background, had bullied scientists and personally rewritten scientific documents to prevent the protection of imperiled species.