Endangered Species Get Second Look

Decisions to reduce federal protection for some threatened creatures will be reconsidered after alleged meddling by a senior Interior Department official.

H. Dale Hall, the director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, yesterday ordered the review of some decisions in which former deputy assistant secretary Julie MacDonald was involved.

Species covered by Hall’s order are the Preble’s meadow jumping mouse, the Southwestern willow flycatcher, white-tailed prairie dog, arroyo toad, California red-legged frog, Canada lynx and 12 species of Hawaiian picture-wing flies.

Environmentalists noted that Hall was agreeing to review only about a third of the cases in which misconduct by MacDonald was alleged.

“While we welcome the revisiting of decisions where political interference has been documented, the list of species under consideration is neither comprehensive nor exhaustive,” said Francesca Grifo, director of the Union of Concerned Scientists’ integrity program.

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