Omaha World-Herald
Lead editorial
January 25, 2003

Senator would junk science

Measure would bar the U.S. wildlife agency from doing its job

Sen. Kit Bond, a Missouri Republican, wants Congress to stand between
the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and science. His measure, attached to a
budget bill, would bar the agency from interfering when the Army Corps
of
Engineers wants to move the nests of endangered bird species to allow
barges
to travel on the Missouri River this summer.

Of more significance, perhaps, it would also forbid Fish and Wildlife
from
ordering a certain flow level on the river to benefit wildlife habitat.
The
agency, the National Academy of Science and environmental organizations
have
been trying to get the corps to alter its management of the Missouri to
allow a spring rise in water level followed by a summer low. That, they
argue, is the way to protect endangered species, benefit wildlife
habitat
and protect the river environment.

If Fish and Wildlife is forbidden from speaking out on the issues it
understands best, issues it has scientifically studied, issues on which
it
has collected facts and statistics, it would violate its governmental
mission and the public trust. Bond might as well fire all of the
agency's
researchers, investigators and scientists; they would be useless.

The senator is trying to short- circuit a repeat performance of last
summer's argument over moving the nests of threatened piping plovers and

endangered least terns. The corps wanted to release water from upstream
dams
to benefit navigation, but the nests and the eggs they contained would
have
been washed away. In previous years, the corps had moved similar nests,
but
not to promote navigation, which studies have indicated is of minimal
importance to Nebraska and Iowa.

As it turned out, barge traffic on the river was limited but not
entirely
stopped during the weeks when the Missouri was at its lowest.

Fish and Wildlife would be ordered to stay out of the corps' business as
it
pertains to the Missouri. That would, in effect, exempt the corps from
the
Endangered Species Act, a foolish move.

Bond's entire proposal is self-interested (Missouri is one of two states
-
Iowa is the other - that oppose the spring rise/summer low
water-management
idea) and shortsighted. He wants to impose from on high a decision that
should stand on research. He would insert politics into the scientific
arena, where these decisions should be made.

His proposal should be rejected by senators who value science, the
environment and the rule of law.

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