When U.S. federal and state employees were caught planting Canadian lynx hairs during a three-year study of the wildcat’s habitat in Washington state, many westerners weren’t in the least surprised. Many say the U.S. Forest Service had long ago lost its ethical and scientific credibility.
Owl counts are made by listening to their calls, rather than through visual sightings. This led to allegations that environmentalists who had learned to mimic the bird stationed themselves in the woods and hooted when counts were being made.
Confronted with evidence that horse carcasses were being used to attract grizzly bears during a count, the Fish and Wildlife Service promised not to do it again, according to Vincent.
Source: Valerie Richardson, ‘Biofraud’ Angers West, Taints Federal Stewards, Washington Times, January 21, 2002.
For text http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20020121-13639816.htm
For more on Endangered Species Act http://www.ncpa.org/iss/env/
FMF Policy Bulletin\21 January 2002
