http://www.washtimes.com/national/20011217-7117603.htm
December 17, 2001
Rare lynx hairs found in forests
exposed as hoax
By Audrey Hudson
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Federal and state wildlife biologists planted false evidence
of a rare cat species in two national forests, officials told The
Washington Times.
Had the deception not been discovered, the government likely
would have banned many forms of recreation and use of natural
resources in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and Wenatchee
National Forest in Washington state.
The previously unreported Forest Service investigation found
that the science of the habitat study had been skewed by seven
government officials: three Forest Service employees, two U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service officials and two employees of the Washington
Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The officials planted three separate samples of Canadian lynx hair
on rubbing posts used to identify existence of the creatures in the
two national forests.
DNA testing of two of the samples matched that of a lynx living
inside an animal preserve. The third DNA sample matched that of an
escaped pet lynx being held in a federal office until its owner
retrieved it, federal officials said.
After the falsified samples were exposed by a Forest Service
colleague, the employees said they were not trying to manipulate or
expand the lynx habitat, but instead were testing the lab's ability to
identify the cat species through DNA analysis, said Joel Holtrop, a
Forest Service official.
"Even if that is the case, it was inappropriate," Mr. Holtrop said.
Forestry officials, conservationists and retired federal officials
said they were outraged that the data were tampered with and said they
are skeptical it was an attempt to test the lab.
"I would find the evil-twin argument more plausible," said Rob
Gordon, executive director of the National Wilderness Institute.
"That would be like bank robbers taking money from a bank and saying
they were just testing the security of a bank, they weren't really
stealing the money. That's beautiful, but I don't think it will fly,"
Mr. Gordon said.
Retired Fish and Wildlife Service biologist James M. Beers called
the false sampling amazing but not surprising. "I'm convinced that
there is a lot of that going on for so-called higher purposes," Mr.
Beers said.
The employees have been counseled for their actions and
banned from participating in the three-year survey of the lynx,
listed as a threatened animal under the Endangered Species
Act. Federal officials would not name the offending
employees, citing privacy concerns.
The lynx listing and habitat study began in 1999 during the
Clinton administration and concludes this year. It was criticized by
Westerners as a political move to impose restrictions on public lands.
Radical environmental groups felt the restrictions didn't go far
enough. To protect the habitat of the felines, roads would have to
be closed to vehicles, and off-road vehicles, snowmobiles,
skis and snowshoes would have been banned. Livestock
grazing and tree thinning also would have been banned.
"It was rigged from the word go; it was full of bad biology
and bad politics," Mr. Beers said. "It gave them [the federal
government] carte blanche to go after ski resorts, stop road
building and go after ranchers and tree cutters."
When the Vail Ski Resort announced an expansion of
trails into possible lynx habitat, the radical animal-rights group
Earth Liberation Front (ELF) torched five buildings and four
ski lifts in protest. The Oct. 18, 1998, fire caused $12 million
in damage and was the largest act of eco-terrorism in the
United States. No arrests were made, and the statute of
limitations expired in October.
This past summer, ELF planted spikes in hundreds of
trees to sabotage a timber sale and protect the lynx and
spotted owls in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest — one of
the forests where the false samples were planted.
This isn't the first time forestry officials have encountered
questionable studies to identify the presence of lynx in the
Northwest. In 1999, a scientist hired by the federal government
submitted lynx hair samples supposedly found in the Oregon
Cascades, farther south than where the animals were thought
to exist, said Chris West, spokesman for the American
Forest Resource Council.
Federal officials spent thousands of hours and tens of
thousands of dollars trying to duplicate the finding but found
no evidence of the creatures.
The hairs were never validated, the samples were thrown
out, and the contractor was never paid, Mr. West said.
"These are cases of rogue biologists trying to influence
natural-resources policy," Mr. West said. "There has clearly been
some shenanigans going on here," he said of the false sampling in
Washington.
Forest Service officials say this year's errant sampling was caught
and therefore did not affect the integrity of the sample survey. "We
have looked at it carefully and feel the overall integrity of the
sampling effort is in place, and the ongoing results will have valid
scientific and sound results," said Heidi Valetkevitch, Forest Service
spokeswoman.
However, the incident has damaged the integrity of the federal
agencies within their own ranks and in the communities they serve.
"It destroys the credibility of the hard work we are trying to do to
track these animals," said one retired Forest Service employee.
Mr. Gordon said the false sampling aggravates an already
distrustful relationship between Westerners and the federal
government. "This revelation makes all the projects these offices and
individuals were involved in suspect, and may merit review," Mr.
Gordon said.
December 17, 2001
Rare lynx hairs found in forests
exposed as hoax
By Audrey Hudson
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Federal and state wildlife biologists planted false evidence
of a rare cat species in two national forests, officials told The
Washington Times.
Had the deception not been discovered, the government likely
would have banned many forms of recreation and use of natural
resources in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and Wenatchee
National Forest in Washington state.
The previously unreported Forest Service investigation found
that the science of the habitat study had been skewed by seven
government officials: three Forest Service employees, two U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service officials and two employees of the Washington
Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The officials planted three separate samples of Canadian lynx hair
on rubbing posts used to identify existence of the creatures in the
two national forests.
DNA testing of two of the samples matched that of a lynx living
inside an animal preserve. The third DNA sample matched that of an
escaped pet lynx being held in a federal office until its owner
retrieved it, federal officials said.
After the falsified samples were exposed by a Forest Service
colleague, the employees said they were not trying to manipulate or
expand the lynx habitat, but instead were testing the lab's ability to
identify the cat species through DNA analysis, said Joel Holtrop, a
Forest Service official.
"Even if that is the case, it was inappropriate," Mr. Holtrop said.
Forestry officials, conservationists and retired federal officials
said they were outraged that the data were tampered with and said they
are skeptical it was an attempt to test the lab.
"I would find the evil-twin argument more plausible," said Rob
Gordon, executive director of the National Wilderness Institute.
"That would be like bank robbers taking money from a bank and saying
they were just testing the security of a bank, they weren't really
stealing the money. That's beautiful, but I don't think it will fly,"
Mr. Gordon said.
Retired Fish and Wildlife Service biologist James M. Beers called
the false sampling amazing but not surprising. "I'm convinced that
there is a lot of that going on for so-called higher purposes," Mr.
Beers said.
The employees have been counseled for their actions and
banned from participating in the three-year survey of the lynx,
listed as a threatened animal under the Endangered Species
Act. Federal officials would not name the offending
employees, citing privacy concerns.
The lynx listing and habitat study began in 1999 during the
Clinton administration and concludes this year. It was criticized by
Westerners as a political move to impose restrictions on public lands.
Radical environmental groups felt the restrictions didn't go far
enough. To protect the habitat of the felines, roads would have to
be closed to vehicles, and off-road vehicles, snowmobiles,
skis and snowshoes would have been banned. Livestock
grazing and tree thinning also would have been banned.
"It was rigged from the word go; it was full of bad biology
and bad politics," Mr. Beers said. "It gave them [the federal
government] carte blanche to go after ski resorts, stop road
building and go after ranchers and tree cutters."
When the Vail Ski Resort announced an expansion of
trails into possible lynx habitat, the radical animal-rights group
Earth Liberation Front (ELF) torched five buildings and four
ski lifts in protest. The Oct. 18, 1998, fire caused $12 million
in damage and was the largest act of eco-terrorism in the
United States. No arrests were made, and the statute of
limitations expired in October.
This past summer, ELF planted spikes in hundreds of
trees to sabotage a timber sale and protect the lynx and
spotted owls in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest — one of
the forests where the false samples were planted.
This isn't the first time forestry officials have encountered
questionable studies to identify the presence of lynx in the
Northwest. In 1999, a scientist hired by the federal government
submitted lynx hair samples supposedly found in the Oregon
Cascades, farther south than where the animals were thought
to exist, said Chris West, spokesman for the American
Forest Resource Council.
Federal officials spent thousands of hours and tens of
thousands of dollars trying to duplicate the finding but found
no evidence of the creatures.
The hairs were never validated, the samples were thrown
out, and the contractor was never paid, Mr. West said.
"These are cases of rogue biologists trying to influence
natural-resources policy," Mr. West said. "There has clearly been
some shenanigans going on here," he said of the false sampling in
Washington.
Forest Service officials say this year's errant sampling was caught
and therefore did not affect the integrity of the sample survey. "We
have looked at it carefully and feel the overall integrity of the
sampling effort is in place, and the ongoing results will have valid
scientific and sound results," said Heidi Valetkevitch, Forest Service
spokeswoman.
However, the incident has damaged the integrity of the federal
agencies within their own ranks and in the communities they serve.
"It destroys the credibility of the hard work we are trying to do to
track these animals," said one retired Forest Service employee.
Mr. Gordon said the false sampling aggravates an already
distrustful relationship between Westerners and the federal
government. "This revelation makes all the projects these offices and
individuals were involved in suspect, and may merit review," Mr.
Gordon said.
