| Part 1
– The Threat
The similarities today between something called
Invasive Species and Endangered Species back in the early 70’s is eerie.
In both instances a Republican President is attempting to deal with a war
while Democrats attack every move he makes. Demonstrations by radicals
clamor on the evening news with no reasonable alternatives offered save
overthrow of the Republicans. Environmentalists both in the Federal
agencies and in the powerful environmental lobby groups attack and undercut
the President while offering the possibility of supporting him if only he
will support a new program that will save plants and animals and surely
generate the votes needed for reelection.
In the early 1970’s Department of the
Interior (where I worked) a Green Assistant Secretary worked with these
environmentalists while overseeing a well-credentialed Director of the US
Fish & Wildlife Service who walked a fine line as a salesman for
Endangered Species while trying unsuccessfully to maintain a workable
wildlife management regime. Today, a Green Secretary of the Interior
similarly courts environmentalists while using the credentials and
reputation of a US Fish & Wildlife Service Director to assure us of the
"need" to Federalize Invasive Species.
This Federal power expansion will
undoubtedly mushroom to cover things which, when I mention them, will cause
you to snicker and ask yourself how could anyone imagine such stuff? Well,
you would have said the same thing in 1972 if I had said that the
Endangered Species Act would lead to:
- taking property without compensation;
- the listing of subspecies, races,
populations, subpopulations, and distinct population segments:
- the elimination of logging and ranching
over wide areas;
- the forced reintroduction of wolves and
grizzly bears for which the "reintroducers" are not responsible
unless someone disturbs them;
- the eradication of needed public works
projects to "save" flies and toads;
- the death of citizens due to flooding
caused by bushes growing on a dam and "needed" for an insect;
- the elimination of big game herds for
wolf food or the elimination of thousands of miles of stream sport
fisheries for an undesirable trout;
- the perversion of biological
classification so that academic specialists can obtain grants and career
enhancements;
- creation of the largest budget and power
increase for Federal bureaucrats to date;
- the litmus test of environmental bona
fides for politicians seeking reelection;
- the greatest power source ever devised
for environmentalists to stop everything from energy development to hunting
and wildlife management …. I could go on but space is limited.
Invasive Species is a Federal proposal
that will expand and steadily eliminate the rights of property owners, the
authorities of state governments, the legitimate activities of Americans,
and a host of other abuses. It is just like the Endangered Species Act in
this respect and it will be expanded and abused even quicker because of the
experience of the past thirty years gained by bureaucrats, politicians,
academicians, and non-governmental organizations.
Back in the early 70’s I was too dumb to
see where all this was going. None of the people I knew, who did know, ever
said a word. They simply clipped coupons for their own careers and pay.
What I intend to do is write a series of articles on Invasive Species based
on the history of the Endangered Species Act. I propose to discuss Invasive
Species in a series of short, direct articles. A range of subjects will be
covered from the history, biology, and politics of Invasive Species to the
Interest Groups, legalities, and both the intended and unintended
consequences that will result. All the usual conflicts (East v. West, urban
v. rural, Feds v. states, academics v. working men & women, bureaucrats
and politicians v. property owners and outdoorsmen, environmentalists &
animal righters v. recreationists and businessmen) are present and need to
be understood.
The Bush Administration is currently
"exploring" an Invasive Species Program. Invasive Species will
soon begin affecting all of us from boaters and outdoorsmen to gardeners
and taxpayers. The time to learn about it is now. The time to do something
about it is before it gets passed and underway. I hope to tell you what you
can do and why you should do it.
I plan to send these articles to those of
you who write to me and who entertain my writings (jimbeers7@earthlink.net). I
ask that if you enjoy these articles, please send them to friends,
associates, and anyone you believe will read it and forward it.
Thank you for your interest in the past
and I hope these articles will prove useful to all of us. |
