(letters)

Lynx Brouhaha

Ted Williams's article "Lynx, Lies, and Media Hype" [May-June] attempts to describe the furor over biologists submitting samples to the National Lynx Survey. In his zeal, Williams perpetuates almost as much misinformation as that which he condemns. The unauthorized samples damaged the credibility and integrity of federal and state agencies as science-based organizations. Regardless of the motives of the biologists, their actions were unprofessional. Their supervisors did not have the authority to override the scientific protocols of the survey. All displayed a lack of ethical conduct and a lack of understanding of the scientific process. Blind samples had already been used to set up the lab. Internal controls were run with each sample analyzed. [This was] explained to all who collected hair samples. They could have asked questions or stated concerns at any time with the survey coordinator or the lab manager. For information about the lynx issue, we invite Audubon readers to visit our web site: www.fs.fed.us/rl; click on "Northern Rockies Lynx Amendment."

Tom L. Thompson
Deputy Chief for National Forest System
Washington, D.C.

Robert Lewis Jr.
Deputy Chief for Research & Development
U.S. Forest Service
Washington, D.C.

Ted Williams replies:
Since when is action undertaken with the permission of one's superior "unauthorized"? And it wasn't the samples that damaged the credibility and integrity of the agencies, it was the lies spun by enemies of the Endangered Species Act and recycled by the media. The biologists were accused of criminal activity. Five separate investigations cleared them. Words like "unprofessional" and "[un]ethical" have no meaning in this context; they are the opinions of bureaucrats who sought to protect their backsides by sacrificing the careers of dedicated professionals. I reported that the protocols included blind samples. The lab itself has admitted that the protocols were explained only after the fact.

As Paul Harvey says: "Now, the REST of the story!" Excellent article—thank you. As a fish-habitat biologist [for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife], I was appalled by the attitude that our director showed when hit by this "scandal." The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife "science team" backed him up and told the rest of us biologists (some who would like to think that they, too, are scientists) that what these lynx people did was unethical and unscientific. According to them, even though blind tests are an acceptable scientific tool, these biologists did not go through proper channels! I listened in on the House-Senate roast of the director, [and] I felt sorry for his biologists. He should have been backing them up, rather than burning them at the stake. Granted, he was blindsided by The Washington Times and hammered by right-wing northwestern Republicans who would sacrifice all fish and wildlife for unrestricted mining and logging. Your article is the first I have read that really shows the entire story.

Mark Schuller
Spokane, WA

I'll tell you what it took to get me to join the Audubon Society, and to sign up our two sons as members. It took Ted Williams's "Lynx, Lies, and Media Hype." I knew that George W. Bush and his oil-soaked administration couldn't despoil America the Beautiful alone. They had to have help by [those] who were ready to lie, cheat, and foist frauds on us. Those who cravenly bow and scrape to today's version of the Inquisition do evil. But biggest on the scale of evil are the media, [which] refused to retract when they found they had been bamboozled by deceitful ideologues. As the saying has it, "Lies fly on the wings of an eagle; the truth trudges after on a tortoise."

Richard G. Gould
Washington, D.C.

Second Crop

After receiving the May-June issue of Audubon, we built the northern flicker house, put it up, and within two weeks had a beautiful pair of flickers ["Knocking on Wood," Backyard]. They have already thrown out much of the wood shavings and are now guarding the nest 24/7. Hopefully, we'll have some little ones before long, even though it seems rather late for nesting in Florida. Maybe it's a second brood. Whatever, we're greatly enjoying watching them! Thank you, Frank Graham for the article, René Laubach [for the plans], and Maryjo Koch for the illustration.

Morey and Neva Kays
Punta Gorda, FL

Correction

"Raising the Dead" [May-June] referred to "DNA's double helix of amino acids." It is actually composed of nucleotides.

© 2002  NASI

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