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Doug Obegi: National Academy of Sciences confirms that protections for endangered salmon and other species are “scientifically justified”

Posted by: Maven on March 20, 2010 at 6:43 am

From Doug Obegi at the NRDC Switchboard blog:

“Today, the National Academy of Sciences’ National Research Council (NRC) publicly released its interim report on the science used in the biological opinions protecting salmon, delta smelt, and other endangered fish in California’s Bay-Delta estuary. The NRC’s report confirms that the agencies used the best available science in developing these biological opinions, finding that these protections are “scientifically justified” and have a “sound conceptual basis,” as Mike Doyle reported yesterday and the Los Angeles Times reported this morning.

The NRC’s conclusion is consistent with the findings of the numerous internal and external peer reviews of the two BO’s and their methodologies, which were conducted both before and after the two opinions were released. These BO’s, together, have 78 separate requirements. Given the complexity of those requirements, the relatively few recommendations for improvements are striking.

It is important to read the NRC review in the context of the scientific and agency reviews of the previous biological opinions. By contrast, those previous BO’s were found to have violated agency procedures and were found not to have incorporated the best available science. Those reviews led a federal court to reject them – leading to these new, and clearly improved, BO’s. … “

Continue reading this post from the NRDC Switchboard blog by clicking here.

March 20, 2010 · Filed Under Delta Issues

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