Posted on 08/06/2002 2:24:32 PM PDT by CedarDave
Sunday, August 4, 2002
Wildlife Director Pushes Cooperation With Ranchers
By Tania Soussan Journal Staff Writer
The new man in charge of protecting silvery minnows, willow flycatchers and other rare critters in New Mexico plans to use the fist of federal regulation only as a last resort.
Dale Hall is a biologist who recently took over as director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Southwest region, which has its headquarters in Albuquerque.
He echoes some ideas of his boss, U.S. Interior Secretary Gale Norton, a President Bush appointee known as an advocate of private property rights and voluntary compliance with environmental rules.
Hall wants to focus the agency's efforts on working more cooperatively with ranchers, farmers, developers and others rather than imposing new restrictions on land use to protect threatened and endangered species.
"Regulation is not needed nearly as often as we use it," Hall said in a recent interview. "It is always easier to regulate. The hard route, but the one really sustainable route over the long-term, is where you find solutions, partnerships."
His philosophy is welcome news to some industry leaders.
"We look forward to working in that kind of a relationship," said Caren Cowan, executive secretary of the New Mexico Cattle Growers Association.
Hall's assignment became official just this month, but he's not a completely new face around town. He has been in Albuquerque as the acting Fish and Wildlife director since December.
He already has impressed the cattle growers by doing something relatively simple and apparently unusual for someone in his position: He attended one of the group's meetings, Cowan said.
"We've been extremely and pleasantly surprised with his willingness to work with us," she said. "Things are off to a good start."
Others have some qualms about how well Hall's approach will work to protect the more than three dozen plants and animals found in New Mexico that are on the Endangered Species List.
Kiéran Suckling, executive director of the Tucson-based Center for Biological Diversity, frequently sues the Fish and Wildlife Service over protections for Southwestern species.
"Cooperating with industry is a Bush code word for giving them free reign over endangered species," Suckling said. "Regulation has been the one and absolutely only thing that has brought industry groups to the table."
Wildlife experience
Hall joined the Fish and Wildlife Service in 1978. He has been an agency biologist in Texas, the head of the Houston field office and deputy assistant director for fisheries in Washington, D.C.
In 1991, Hall took over as assistant regional director for the Fish and Wildlife Service's Pacific Region. He managed northern spotted owl programs, supervised the agency's work in the Klamath Basin and oversaw water resource settlements under the massive CALFED program to restore the bay delta region of Northern California.
Hall moved from Oregon to Atlanta in 1997 where he was deputy regional manager for the agency's Southeast region until coming to New Mexico.
"Dale is a superb leader and I feel very confident that the expertise and experience he brings to the region will benefit the Southwest's natural resources and citizens," said Steve Williams, director of the Fish and Wildlife Service. The Southwest region includes New Mexico, Arizona, Texas and Oklahoma.
"The thing that helps me is that not too many issues feel like something I haven't dealt with before," Hall said.
He said his time at the agency has taught him that regulation often sends a message to people that the Fish and Wildlife Service doesn't care about people.
"I think the stronger tools we have are when we get out there and start working with people," Hall said.
The tools he plans to use in New Mexico include Safe Harbor Agreements, which protect landowners from penalties if listed species move onto their property and then the habitat the animals need is later lost.
Hall also plans to expand use of the Endangered Species Act's so-called 10j rule. That rule can be used to designate a specific population of a species as "experimental, non-essential" and eliminate many of the bans on killing or harming the animals in the course of other activities.Copyright 2002 Albuquerque Journal
This is the guy that you are calling a breath of fresh air? Someone find out where he was during the Lynx study so he can have a monopoly on misery.
EBUCK
and God gave man dominion over the earth.
"Regulation has been the one and absolutely only thing that has brought industry groups to the table."
Someone needs to help Miss Suckling speak. I, personally, would tell Miss Suckling to do something similar to her last name.
The tools he plans to use in New Mexico include Safe Harbor Agreements, which protect landowners from penalties if listed species move onto their property and then the habitat the animals need is later lost. Hall also plans to expand use of the Endangered Species Act's so-called 10j rule. That rule can be used to designate a specific population of a species as "experimental, non-essential" and eliminate many of the bans on killing or harming the animals in the course of other activities.
Now we're talking.
BBBWWWWWAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Suckling leeches thrive when burrowed into the thick, fire resistant bark of old growth trees with trunks over 21 inches in diameter.
They have been known to multiply into millions of other sucklings, when the old growth trees are felled by loggers.
The Oregon Center for Biodiversity is contemplating a lawsuit against Club Sierra for prevention of logged habitat for the "suckling leech".
Thanks for the clarification of gender.
My opinion of the suckling is still rather piggish. No offense to pigs, of course.
You are right on target. Suckling and his band of thieves have created a large and successful SW enviro business by suing Federal land management agencies in the Southwest and winning. However Kieran Suckling is the least of Dale Hall's worries. Dale has his hands full in the SW Region with intra-Regional personnel rivalries and pig-headed biologists.
Muleteam1
I know what you mean. I was raised in NM and it is a different place today.
A close friend of mine had Federal Oil & Gas leases cancelled because the area they were in was declared a Federal Wilderness area, after the fact. He sued and lost (many tens of thousands). The area is now the "Bisti" National something or other (near Farmington).
The ironic thing is the area described as such a "pristine treasure", is the same place we used to have "keggers" as high school kids.
Throughout the whole process he and his attorney were treated with contempt by the Fed officials in NM. Presumeably, those are one and the same that Dale Hall will have to deal with (hopefully fire).
That probably would be the Bisti/De-na-zin Wilderness near Farmington. Actually, I know little about the Four-Corners area of New Mexico, and although I live in Albuquerque, I've never been to the Bisti Wilderness area.
>>Throughout the whole process he and his attorney were treated with contempt by the Fed officials in NM. Presumeably, those are one and the same that Dale Hall will have to deal with (hopefully fire).<<
I must tell you that I was a biologist at the Regional office at Albuquerque for several years. The Regional Director was then Nancy Kaufman, who spent more time traveling, politicking, and holding up things than she did working. I hope that Bush had a really good job for her in D.C. but I have not yet learned where she went.
I could apologize for the contempt your friend felt from the Service representatives, but it would mean little coming from me. I felt the same contempt in that Regional office having come there from Washington from an agency of the USDA that normally sits across the table in meetings with the Service. All the personnel in Region 2, especially NM and AZ, were a really unhappy lot. This seemed strange since then they still had their anti-west friends in office, Clinton and Babbitt. I can't imagine what they must be like now.The Service was a terribly inbred agency as I soon learned after arriving in Albuquerque and those who dare cross interagency lines, should beware.
I doubt that Dale Hall will be able to fire anyone but he can make the ones who want to continue to be jacka_sses so miserable they leave. Let's hope he cleans the stables.
Muleteam1
Interior Department "blinded by clouded judgment and crippled by distrust." See story at:
http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAPXPRIK4D.html
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