Julie MacDonald, Ass't Secretary for Fish, Wildlife & Parks (Interior) quit today ahead of a House investigation into her violations of the Endangered Species Act and the facts that she censored scientific findings and generally mistreated employees at Fish & Wildlife.
To be sure, the fact that she is quitting is good news. She was another loyal Bushie appointment without a natural science background in a position that certainly should require such a background. Yet another example of a self-serving, incompetent appointment by Bushcrap & Company. Thankfully she is out but it's always a concern about who the replacement will be.
This is her bio from the Interior Dept site as of May, 2004
MacDonald Named Deputy Assistant Secretary
(WASHINGTON) -- Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton has promoted Julie A. MacDonald to be deputy assistant secretary for fish and wildlife and parks in the Department of the Interior.
MacDonald has been serving as senior advisor to Assistant Secretary Craig Manson. She will continue to report to Manson in her new position. She came to the Department in July 2002.
"Julie MacDonald has brought the benefits of her long experience in environmental and water law to the Interior Department and done an outstanding job, said Norton. "She is a valuable member of our policy team."
MacDonald is a civil engineer with a master's degree in management. She began her federal career as a hydraulic engineer with Interior's Bureau of Reclamation in 1979. In 1987, she commenced a distinguished career in public policy. She has been a staff consultant in the California Legislature and served as senior staff to the California Senate minority leader. Governor Pete Wilson later appointed her as Associate Secretary of the state Health and Welfare Agency and then in 1996, as Deputy Secretary for Legislative Affairs in the California Resources Agency. In the latter position, she was responsible for gaining bipartisan passage of new provisions in the California Endangered Species Act.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
From the Washington Post:
MacDonald was recently rebuked by the department's inspector general, who told Congress in a report last month that she broke federal rules and should face punishment for leaking information about endangered species to private groups.
And again from the Post:
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said MacDonald had "betrayed the mission she swore to uphold," adding that her actions "undermined both the work and the integrity of the Fish and Wildlife Service and its many dedicated employees."
Wyden placed a hold Monday on President Bush's nomination of Lyle Laverty to be assistant Interior secretary for fish, wildlife and parks until allegations against MacDonald were resolved.
The inspector general's report said MacDonald tried to remove protections for a rare jumping mouse in the Rocky Mountains based on a questionable study, and reduced by 80 percent the amount of streams to be protected to help bull trout recover in the Pacific Northwest.
Heh, & the new Interior Secretary is our esteemed former governor from Idaho. We have been trying to protect bull trout habitat here for effing years.
From the Toledo Blade:
At the Interior Department, the inspector general has documented a running battle between career professionals and Julie MacDonald, a political appointee who was named deputy assistant secretary for fish, wildlife, and parks despite lack of an educational background in natural science.
In one cited case, the Washington Post reported, Ms. MacDonald ordered the official range of an endangered bird to be limited so that it did not extend to California, where her family has a ranch.
That's crossing the line.
In another case, she was found to have disclosed confidential department documents on habitat policies to friends at the Pacific Legal Foundation and the California Farm Bureau, which have challenged endangered species designations.
That's crossing the line.
Yep. Crossing the line. The Republican MO
See ya, Julie. Don't let that bull trout bite you in the ass on the way out.
I suspect a party or two is in order at Fish & Wildlife.