Thirty-mile Fire: Are human
lives more important than endangered species?
From: "Steve Frank" <sfrank@thurston.com>
To: <jflatten@fs.fed.us>
Copies to: "Dan Swecker" <wfga@localaccess.com>,
<debolt_ri@leg.wa.gov>,
"Gary Chandler" <chandler_ga@leg.wa.gov>,
"Joyce Mulliken" <mulliken_jo@leg.wa.gov>,
"Pam Roach" <roach_pa@leg.wa.gov>,
"Sen. Don Benton" <benton_do@leg.wa.gov>,
"Senator Harold Hochstatter" <hochstat_ha@leg.wa.gov>,
"Sheldon, Sen. Timothy" <sheldon_ti@leg.wa.gov>
Subject: Thirty-mile Fire
Date sent: Sun, 19 Aug 2001 13:00:37 -0700
August 19, 2001
Ms. Flatten,
The statement made by Megan Durham does clarify
the law regarding the ESA and emergencies. However, it most certainly does not
put my mind at ease. There are many questions that need answering before I will
accept that the US Forest Service or NMFS did not delay the water drops. I will
list just a few here.
1. Were there representatives from
environmental groups present at the fire scene? If so, who were they and why
were they there? Did they raise any questions about violating ESA or 4d rules?
2. Did all supervisory personnel dealing with
the fire know about the emergency exemptions to the ESA?
3. Ms Durham mentions the ESA exemption, were
there any other rules and regulations that might have impeded the water drop,
like the 4d rules?
4. Were any employees from the State of
Washington present that might have impeded progress because some state
environmental regulations?
These and many other questions must be answered
and made public before I and many others will be satisfied. You may be assured
that many people that have experienced the arrogant and high handed tactics of
government bureaucrats will carefully follow this investigation. If the above
questions are not answered, the investigation made public (in a timely manner)
freedom of information act requests will be submitted. Any hint of a cover up or
even a soft-pedal, like one WA State congressman seemed to suggest, will not be
tolerated!
Respectfully yours,
Steve Frank
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Statement on the Endangered Species Act and the Thirty-mile Fire:
Megan Durham 202-208-4685
The Department of the Interior deeply
regrets the tragic loss of four wild land firefighters on July 10 in
Washington State and has an established policy that never puts the Endangered
Species Act in front of a response to emergency situations where human lives
are at risk.
Within the last 24 hours there have been
allegations that requirements under the Endangered Species Act caused delays
in responding to the Thirty-mile Fire that resulted in the deaths of these
firefighters.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service wishes to
clarify that wild land fires represent an emergency under the Endangered
Species Act and that in no circumstances is emergency response to be delayed
or obstructed because of Endangered Species Act considerations.
US Fish and Wildlife Service policy
expressly states, "Under no circumstances should a Service representative
obstruct an emergency response decision... Where human life is at stake."
In the case of the Thirty-mile Fire, US
Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service officials were
informed of Forest Service procedures to suppress ongoing fires on July 10
during an interagency briefing on local fires at the Wenatchee/Okanagan
National Forest Office in Wenatchee, Washington. The US Fish and Wildlife
Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service did not impose any
limitations on the effort to fight the Thirty-mile Fire.
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