GAO Finds Illegal Political Interference in Endangered Species Decisions Is Widespread

The Government Accountability Office released a report finding that politicization of endangered species decisions within the government is more widespread than Julie MacDonald. Press Release Center for Biological Diversity:

The report concluded that six of the eight species that have been delisted under the Bush administration had not met goals established in their recovery plan and that the Fish and Wildlife Service was not responding to petitions to protect new species in a timely manner.

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the report investigated a policy put forth by MacDonald that when reviewing petitions to list new species as endangered under the ESA, Interior should only consider information from their files that refutes claims in a petition, not supports them.

Sadly, this is hardly news ~ but the GAO report gives a stark account and emboldened legitimacy to conservationist’s account of the depth of the politicization of this administration’s Department.