Your help is needed NOW. The following is an Alert from the National
Endangered Species Act Reform Coalition (NESARC)
http://www.nesarc.org/walden.htm

"Bad Science = Bad Decisions; Good Science = Good Decisions"

The House Resources Committee hopes to move legislation in early March that would require the use of good science in Endangered Species Act (ESA) decision making. The legislation is HR. 2829, sponsored by Oregon Congressman Greg Walden. Like the Congressman, we have all seen how the recent disaster in Oregon's Klamath Basin was caused by the use of inadequate or bad science. Its time to make some permanent changes to the Endangered Species Act so neither endangered species nor human lives are harmed again. In the wake of this and other recent ESA disasters, the time to change the law is now. And we need your help now. If this legislation is to move, we need more Congressional support.

HR. 2829, the Sound Science for Endangered Species Act Planning Act of 2001 currently has 13 sponsors. We urgently need many, many more, including Democrats.

NESARCURGES YOU TO TAKE ACTION NOW. HERE IS HOW: SENDING A FAX
IS THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY IF YOU CAN'T MAKE A CALL DIRECTLY.

1. Communicate with your Congressmen. Due to the recent anthrax attacks in Washington, DC, it is no longer efficient to post a letter through the regular mail. We need you to fax, email, call, or personally see your Congressman now. Use the following link to get fax numbers for every Member of Congress http://capwiz.com/share/dbq/officials/

2. Congress is in recess this week. Nearly all Members of Congress will be touring their Congressional Districts and holding a number of local public meetings. This is the single best time to personally contact your Member of Congress and urge that they cosponsor this legislation. If they won't support the legislation, ask them why not. If they say they will consider it, ask them to please report back to you whether they will cosponsor the bill or not, and tell them you will be waiting for their answer. This is not rude. It is simply asking your Congressman for their views on a particular issue that is important to you. Remember: they work for us and without us, they do not have jobs.

Here are some suggested points you may wish to use in urging your
Congressman to cosponsor HR. 2829.
1. Nearly all scientific studies, all serious research, and all significant scientific conclusions are peer reviewed. Before medicines are approved, other scientists review the research. Before food additives are approved, the science is peer reviewed. Even the development of a new automobile is peer reviewed by outside engineers to make sure that costly mistakes are not made and safety is not compromised. There is no reason that the science used to make ESA decisions should not also be peer reviewed to prevent sometimes disastrous mistakes.
2. Good science strengthens the Endangered Species Act, it does not weaken it. It means better results for the endangered species, and for human activity.
3. Scientific peer review often saves money by exposing better more cost effective ways to help species and avoid costly mistakes.
4. Scientific peer review will not delay ESA decisions, but it will make sure those decisions are the right ones.
5. HR. 2829 allows local governments and individuals affected by ESA
decisions to submit their own scientific data. When scientific information is available from any reliable source, there is simply no good reason it should not be considered. HR. 2829 makes sure that all science is considered not just the data from federal scientists.
6. If you do not favor this legislation, are you for bad science? Why would you be for bad science?

If you get nothing more across to your Congressman, impress upon him, "Bad Science = Bad Decisions / Good Science = Good Decisions." However you choose to communicate with your Congressman, please do it now. This is the first serious effort to reform and improve the Endangered Species Act in five years. This effort had real legs under it. NESARC strongly urges you and especially our association members to send this information to your friends, colleagues and members so this effort is multiplied many times.

Below are links to key documents that can provide you with all of the
information you need to allow you to contact your Senators and Members of Congress and urge them to support the use of good science when making ESA decisions:
* Text and cosponsor lists for H.R. 2829, the Sound Science for Endangered Species Act Planning Act of 2001.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c107:H.R.2829:
* Text and cosponsor lists for S. 1912, the Sound Science for Endangered Species Decision Making Act of 2002, legislation introduced by Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR) that is nearly identical to Congressman Walden's good science proposal. http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c107:S.1912:
* A side-by-side comparison of H.R. 2829, S. 1912, and the current ESA prepared by NESARC. http://www.nesarc.org/2829sxs.htm
* A one page description of H.R. 2829.
http://www.nesarc.org/2829onepager.htm
* A one page description of S. 1912. http://www.nesarc.org/1912onepager.htm
* A copy of the letter NESARC sent to all members of the House of
Representatives urging them to support H.R. 2829. Go here for PDF file http://www.nesarc.org/walden.htm
* The press release issued by Congressman Walden when he introduced H.R. 2829. http://www.house.gov/walden/press/20.../pr080301.html
* The press release issued by Senator Smith when he introduced S. 1912.
http://www.senate.gov/~gsmith/press/02-05-02d.htm

NESARC is ready to answer your questions and assist you in any way. Please don't hesitate to contact them. http://www.nesarc.org

 

Here is an editorial that I wrote and sent to a few papers. Feel free to use any of it that you feel is appropriate for your own editorial and/or letters to your representatives.

Crowdog

-----------------------------------------
It is time to Reform the Endangered Species Act

Last week we found out that Forest Service officials knowingly used faulty data of spotted owl habitat to block logging in a California forest. The revelation of bad science comes on the heels of other questionable actions taken by federal officials in the name of protecting endangered species. False samples were submitted into a national lynx survey, and in other cases faulty information was used to cut off water to farmers and to establish habitat in several states for endangered fish species.

In the wake of these recent disasters, it is time to change the Endangered Species Act (ESA) before it is used again to destroy jobs, devalue property, and restrict access to our public lands.

The House Resources Committee hopes to move legislation in early March that would require the use of good science in ESA decision making. The legislation is HR. 2829, the Sound Science for Endangered Species Act Planning Act of 2001. Its time to make some permanent changes to the ESA so neither endangered species nor human lives are harmed again. You can learn more at www.nesarc.org (National Endangered Species Act Reform Coalition).

Write or call your representatives and tell them to support HR. 2829.