The BLM has cut off funding for an Oregon State University forestry research program after a scientist in the program published results that conflicted with administration policy.
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http://www.oregonlive.com/... >
Daniel Donato, a graduate student at OSU conducted a research study into the impact of "salvage logging" in a burned area. His conclusion: the logging destroyed new trees and left slash that impeded the recovery of the forest. The Republicans have recently pushed laws through congress that require rapid logging of new burns without the usual public input or environmental reviews.
The BLM's conclusion: the research should be immediately suspended because it impacted legislation. Apparently research that informs legislation is now illegal.
Donato's research article was submitted to the prestigious journal "Science", and underwent the exhaustive peer review that all legitimate scientific journals impose prior to publication. His article was accepted for publication in the January issue.
Upon the article's acceptance, two long-time professors at the school of forestry attempted, but failed, to have Science halt publication, on the grounds of inadequate peer review. The professors had previously published reports that favored logging of burns, and their reports had been used to justify congressional legislation mandating logging. The school of forestry receives significant funding from timber companies.
In today's action, the BLM has immediately suspended funding of research projects, including Donato's, on the grounds that the research mentioned a bill before congress to accelerate logging.
From the article in the Oregonian:
Andy Stahl, executive director of Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics, said the suspension of funding was a "shot across the bows" to researchers who produce findings the government does not like.
"The administration, regardless of the outcome of this incident, has made its message clear," he said. "You knuckle under and give us the results we want, or we won't fund you."
It's getting hard to be upset any more about the Bush administration's cavalier attitude about truth. I think I'm just getting burned out. But I guess that's what they want.
On the one hand there is suppression of information, from accepted science to budget projections to who formulates government policy. And on the other hand, there are blatent actions they don't seem to feel have to be covered up at all, because I guess no-one is paying any attention any more.