AWR News Release
September 21, 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Groups Say Government Hacks Bull Trout on Behalf of Corporate Contributors

MISSOULA-- The groups who successfully sued to have the bull trout listed under the Endangered Species Act today claimed the Bush Administration acted on behalf of corporate contributors and conservative Western governors by dramatically slashing critical habitat designations for the threatened bull trout by more than 90%.

Alliance for the Wild Rockies and Friends of the Wild Swan conservation organizations blasted the final designations for the Columbia and Klamath River basins, saying they violate the law and are the latest slap in the face of sportsmen across America.

"We can't be too surprised by this eleventh-hour massacre," said Michael Garrity, executive director of the Montana-based Alliance for the Wild Rockies. " This is a frontal attack on America'sÜfish and wildlifeÜhabitat. Once they cheated on the economic analysis, we knew they'd sell out the bull trout to please their campaign contributors."

"This is a crude and shallow attempt to circumvent the Endangered Species Act and it defies legal precedent and logic," said Missoula attorney Jack Tuholske, the lead attorney on the bull trout cases. "This is in direct opposition of several appeals court decisions."

By slashing the proposed designations by approximately 90%, the government has ignored its own scientists and legal findings. The original proposal for the Columbia and Klamath Basins contained approximately 18,500 miles of rivers and streams, and over 500,000 acres of lakes. The final contains just 1,748 miles of streams and just 61,000 acres of lakes.

"It's a sad day for Americans concerned about the environment," said Garrity. "Raking in more corporate money has trumped clean water and bull trout protection for now, but we'll pull out all the stops to prevent this sham."

The groups first petitioned the government for bull trout listing in October of 1992, finally prevailing in court some seven years later.

"George Bush just turned twelve years of progress on its head. We're back to the bad old days of the government denying, obfuscating, and outright cheating to prevent legal protection for bull trout," said Mike Bader, a consultant for the bull trout groups.

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