While in grad school, I took a weeklong course to get certified to use opiates & other drugs to tranquilize animals. It was taught by the State Veterinarians for Idaho & Wyoming. We had to actually tranq some elk as part of the class (estimate weight, measure dose, shoot, draw blood and administer the "antagonist/antidote"). Well, we were doing a de-horned bull elk. The student shot it and rushed in too soon, causing an adrenaline rush that temporarily neutralized the Etorphine/M99. The elk ran about 100 yards and dropped like a rock. We were standing around watching him draw blood when I felt a push against my back. The second time it happened, I turn to complain and there was a cow elk looking over my shoulder like "What are you guys doing to Joe??)
I've never really explained WHAT i did when I worked for the Feds (
Bear [
] with me, there IS a point!) I worked in Ecological Services for US Fish and Wildlife. We mostly examined the effects on Endangered Species by projects performed under Federal control. Some projects might require a review of the effects on all species, not just endangered ones (Water projects and plans on military bases). A proposal would come in and we'd determine if there was an effect, how much, how could it be prevented or mitigated. I usually had 10-12 projects on my desk in various stages of completion. Other projects might include managing various grant projects (to states, farmers & ranchers, tribes, etc.), developing conservation plans and listing and delisting of Endangered Species. I once approved a grant of $25K to move 25 beaver from the Methow River onto the Yakama Rez. The money was for vet exams and trucking them and monitoring after release. Well, the beaver did what beaver do: (a) make dams and (b) make little beavers. What the bears and lions didn't eat, spread and in two years we had restored 250 miles of at least two watersheds and had steelhead trout spawning for the first time in at least 20 years!
The point is: we would have all levels of cooperation with various entities: States, other Federal agencies, Tribes. I preferred being approached early in the planning stages so as to avoid impacts or minimize them, increasing the chance of approval. One friend once described me to Tulare County Board of Supervisors as "the best wildlife biologist in the state of California" (I'm good but nowhere close to THAT good). By getting in on the ground floor, a minor change ("Move the bike path 5 more feet to the left") might prevent or severely lessen the impacts to an endangered species. Too many times, we got rolled politically. I told my staff that sometimes you will cry yourself to sleep because someone made a political decision, ignoring the biology and sometimes you will have unimaginable highs when it goes well for the species. (Enough being maudlin, Greg!!!)
Some of the "Enviros" would try to bog us down with petitions. The Center for Biological Diversity once sent a petition for listing as endangered 262 aquatic snails. I had two of the species. Well, first of all, they simply changed the date on the cover letter and resent it. Then it was full of misdirection and poor science (High school level). For instance:
1. These snails live in water and therefore are affected by water pollution (Some organisms thrive in high salinity, high temperatures or high acidity).
2. Small populations lead to loss of genetic diversity necessary for survival. (We don't know if these are clonal, cross-fertilize, self-fertilize, or mate sexually - genetic drift only applies to sexually mating species)
3. Limited populations (only two but widely spread=are there more? Has anybody looked? These snails are only 1-3 mm in diameter)
4. Very limited knowledge of the species (i.e.: Is it EVEN a species).
This petition wasted 6 months and countless phone calls by 150 biologists in most of the western states!!!!!!!!!!! Government waste??? YEAH!!! Do not get me wrong, I once had a PhD publish a recant of some of his doctoral work because we found an error in his work and he reviewed a "Not Warranted" decision on his pet species and fully endorsed it! Many species do need protection because we know so little! So, "yes", Gramps. I hear where you are coming from!
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