WASHINGTON (July 31)—The House Natural Resources Committee today will hold a hearing into the misuse of science at the Department of Interior in the wake of allegations that Vice President Dick Cheney personally intervened to change scientific findings on endangered salmon, leading to the death of 70,000 fish. 

The hearing is expected to touch on the many ways that science has been distorted, manipulated and suppressed at Interior on issues including the effects of cattle grazing on public lands, the impact of logging after forest fires and endangered species. 

Today's hearing comes less than two weeks after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced it would review a small number of Endangered Species Act decisions that were made with "inappropriate influence" by former Interior Department Deputy Assistant Secretary for Wildlife and Parks Julie MacDonald.

Below is a statement by Francesca Grifo, senior scientist and director, Scientific Integrity Program, Union of Concerned Scientists:

"Fixing this problem requires genuine leadership. Tough political decisions should be made with honesty and integrity. These appear to have been made with neither.

"Hard-working agency scientists are unable to expose political interference in their work without risking their jobs. An open decision-making process is the best way to keep political appointees from changing science to fit their whims.

"Reexamining just eight endangered species protection decisions falls far short of what is needed to address this problem. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service should review all Bush administration decisions to ensure that our nation's biological heritage is protected."