"The Fish and Wildlife Service is under severe pressure from its political superiors to commit scientific fraud to avoid inconveniencing campaign contributors," says Jeff Ruch, executive director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), which joined FWS scientist Andrew Eller, Jr. on the May 4 complaint. [1]

Eller, a 17-year employee of the FWS, has worked on Florida panther recovery efforts for 10 years. His professional contributions have included participation in a multi-agency, habitat preservation working group in 1991, serving as Assistant Panther Coordinator from 1993 to 1998, and writing panther-related biological opinions required under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) from 1998 to 2003. [2]

Eller and PEER charge that "[p]anther literature considered 'best available science' by the USFWS contains unsupported assumptions, uses inappropriate analytical methods, and selectively uses data to support conclusions."

FWS has cited this literature to justify overestimates of the panther's breeding population, reproductive and survival rates, and underestimates of the panther's habitat needs—using the panther's less active daytime habits to estimate the range for the mostly-nocturnal species.

The errors have been exposed in published peer reviews, field reports, court declarations, and by a 2003 independent, joint review team of the FWS and the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. FWS has 60 days in which to accept or contest the Eller/PEER complaint. [3]

"Ironically, the Service is using this bad science to justify allowing the same kinds of development in southwest Florida that has led to the need for Everglades restoration in southeast Florida," Jeff Ruch told BushGreenwatch.

The Florida panther was listed as endangered under the ESA in 1967. There are only an estimated 60-80 wild panthers left, numbers so few that the species is on the edge of genetic collapse. Cougars from Texas have been introduced into the Florida population to diversify the gene pool. [4]

FWS management recently acknowledged that staff morale was low due to questions about the agency's scientific credibility. On May 5, the Service held an all-staff "Town Hall" meeting.

This "rich discussion of scientific practices in the past, present and future" featured a call-in with FWS Director Steve Williams, a Bush administration appointee. Williams is developing a track record of decisions that ignore scientific recommendations and input from experienced FWS staff. All FWS employees have also been ordered to watch a video, "Science and the Service: A Tradition of Excellence." [5]

"During the call, an employee from Alaska asked Williams about the Florida panther complaint -- the charge from within that there was scientific fraud at Fish and Wildlife," PEER's Ruch told BushGreenwatch. "Williams replied that it was important to deal with internal frustrations constructively, told a long-winded story about Olaus Murie and the founding of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and then asked for the next question."

Dozens of the world's most esteemed scientists have criticized the Bush administration for manipulation of science and conflicts of interest in policymaking. Earlier this year, the Union of Concerned Scientists released a report detailing the administration’s misuse of data in setting policy on climate change, public health threats, endangered species, air pollution, forest management, and other issues. [6]

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SOURCES:
[1] PEER press release, May. 4, 2004.
[2] Complaint on Data Quality Act violations, May 4, 2004.
[3] Ibid.
[4] National Wildlife Federation Florida Panther web pages.
[5] PEER Press Release, May 5, 2004.
[6] BushGreenwatch, Apr. 20, 2004.