U.S. Scientists Say They Are Told to Alter Findings

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February 10, 2005

 

 

 

THE NATION

 

U.S. Scientists Say They Are Told to Alter Findings

# More than 200 Fish and Wildlife researchers cite cases where

conclusions were reversed to weaken protections and favor business, a

survey finds.

 

By Julie Cart, Times Staff Writer

 

More than 200 scientists employed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service say they have been directed to alter official findings to

lessen protections for plants and animals, a survey released Wednesday

says.

 

The survey of the agency's scientific staff of 1,400 had a 30%

response rate and was conducted jointly by the Union of Concerned

Scientists and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility.

 

A division of the Department of the Interior, the Fish and Wildlife

Service is charged with determining which animals and plants should be

placed on the endangered species list and designating areas where such

species need to be protected.

 

More than half of the biologists and other researchers who responded

to the survey said they knew of cases in which commercial interests,

including timber, grazing, development and energy companies, had

applied political pressure to reverse scientific conclusions deemed

harmful to their business.

 

Bush administration officials, including Craig Manson, an assistant

secretary of the Interior who oversees the Fish and Wildlife Service,

have been critical of the 1973 Endangered Species Act, contending that

its implementation has imposed hardships on developers and others

while failing to restore healthy populations of wildlife.

 

Along with Republican leaders in Congress, the administration is

pushing to revamp the act. The president's proposed budget calls for a

$3-million reduction in funding of Fish and Wildlife's endangered

species programs.

 

" The pressure to alter scientific reports for political reasons has

become pervasive at Fish and Wildlife offices around the country, "

said Lexi Shultz of the Union of Concerned Scientists.

 

Mitch Snow, a spokesman for the Fish and Wildlife Service, said the

agency had no comment on the survey, except to say " some of the basic

premises just aren't so. "

 

The two groups that circulated the survey also made available memos

from Fish and Wildlife officials that instructed employees not to

respond to the survey, even if they did so on their own time. Snow

said that agency employees could not use work time to respond to

outside surveys.

 

Fish and Wildlife scientists in 90 national offices were asked 42

questions and given space to respond in essay form in the mail-in

survey sent in November.

 

One scientist working in the Pacific region, which includes

California, wrote: " I have been through the reversal of two listing

decisions due to political pressure. Science was ignored — and worse,

manipulated, to build a bogus rationale for reversal of these listing

decisions. "

 

More than 20% of survey responders reported they had been " directed to

inappropriately exclude or alter technical information. "

 

However, 69% said they had never been given such a directive. And,

although more than half of the respondents said they had been ordered

to alter findings to lessen protection of species, nearly 40% said

they had never been required to do so.

 

Sally Stefferud, a biologist who retired in 2002 after 20 years with

the agency, said Wednesday she was not surprised by the survey

results, saying she had been ordered to change a finding on a

biological opinion.

 

" Political pressures influence the outcome of almost all the cases, "

she said. " As a scientist, I would probably say you really can't trust

the science coming out of the agency. "

 

A biologist in Alaska wrote in response to the survey: " It is one

thing for the department to dismiss our recommendations, it is quite

another to be forced (under veiled threat of removal) to say something

that is counter to our best professional judgment. "

 

Don Lindburg, head of the office of giant panda conservation at the

Zoological Society of San Diego, said it was unrealistic to expect

federal scientists to be exempt from politics or pressure.

 

" I've not stood in the shoes of any of those scientists, " he said.

" But it is not difficult for me to believe that there are pressures

from those who are not happy with conservation objectives, and here I

am referring to development interest and others.

 

" But when it comes to altering data, that is a serious matter. I am

really sorry to hear that scientists working for the service feel they

have to do that. Changing facts to fit the politics — that is a very

unhealthy thing. If I were a scientist in that position I would just

refuse to do it. "

 

The Union of Concerned Scientists and the public employee group

provided copies of the survey and excerpts from essay-style responses.

 

One biologist based in California, who responded to the survey, said

in an interview with The Times that the Fish and Wildlife Service was

not interested in adding any species to the endangered species list.

 

" For biologists who do endangered species analysis, my experience is

that the majority of them are ordered to reverse their conclusions [if

they favor listing]. There are other biologists who will do it if you

won't, " said the biologist, who spoke on condition of anonymity.