Subject: more thoughts on listing of Washington sage grouse (fwd)
Date: Jan 12 21:30:34 2001
From: Kelly Mcallister - mcallkrm at dfw.wa.gov


> Now, I have to ask -- if it is necessary for biologists to bring in fresh
> genes to a local population of any species for it to remain viable, HOW CAN
> THAT SPECIES or distinct breeding segment thereof, NOT DESERVE ESA LISTING?

To my knowledge, Sage Grouse have not been translocated to Washington for release to
the wild.

I suppose the answer to the above question involves the inexactness of the science of viability
analysis and the fact that one biologist may well believe that all of the available facts
suggest a need to bring in outside genes while another biologist may look at the same facts
and decide that translocations are not warranted. It's a problem with biology. Biologists
suffer from physics envy.

Kelly McAllister