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Science 26 August 2005:
Vol. 309. no. 5739, p. 1313
DOI: 10.1126/science.309.5739.1313b
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ScienceScope

A U.S. District Court in California last week overturned a controversial decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to downgrade protection for two populations of the California tiger salamander.

Tiger salamander populations in Santa Barbara and Sonoma counties were declared endangered in 2000 and 2003 respectively, a step that hampered developers. Last year, the agency downlisted the status of the populations to "threatened," explaining that the move would facilitate habitat conservation by ranchers (Science, 10 September 2004, p. 1554). Critics said the change was not scientifically justified, and last week, federal judge William Alsup agreed in his decision, calling the rule "riddled with error," and citing political meddling. The government might appeal the ruling, which reinstates the salamanders' status as endangered.




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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)