August 1, 2001 Missoulian (AP) article by Katherine Pfleger: Questions raised over ESA role in firefighters deaths.
CAG Comment
It is really sad that congress passed the ESA [Endangered Species Act], and the president signed it, when ESA has a track record of destroying lives all the way from Jabige, NM to Klamath, OR, and beyond. Now that same law is implicated in the destruction of four young people in their prime.
Another look at the silliness of the ESA can be seen in the killing of the grizzly bear it is supposed to protect and a push by the Inter Agency Grizzly Bear Reintroduction Committee to put grizzly bears in an area that does not have the right kind of habitat to support them.
The ESA should be repealed!
End CAG Comment
WASHINGTON - A Republican congressman said Tuesday that delays related to Endangered Species Act protections may have played a role in the July 10 deaths of four wildfire fighters in Washington state.
Citing confidential sources, Rep. Scott Mclnnis, R-Colo,, chairman of the House Resources
' forests subcommittee, said at a hearing that water to douse the deadly flames was delayed for hours while officials wrestled with endangered species protections.Following the delay, the fire exploded in the Chewuch River canyon in the Okanogan-Wenatehee national forests, growing from 25 acres to 2,500 acres in less than three hours. It trapped several firefighters, killing Tom Craven, 30, Devin Weaver, 21, Jessica Johnson, 19, and Karen Fitzpatrick, 18,
Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth said he heard "a whisper" Monday related to the congressman
's account. but could not confirm it until the agency completes its investigation.Ken Weaver of Yakima, Devin
's father, was angry."It
's stupid enough that it rings true. That's the extreme that some of these zealots go to," he said, "It begs the question: If they were capable of bringing water into this fire, why weren't they capable of airlifting people out of there?"After the hearing, Bosworth said he will continue to work to put public safety and firefighter safety first. nut, as was the case in the Thirty Mile Fire, he said, "Sometimes it is not enough."
Mclnnis offered this timetable from his sources outlining what happened:
The congressman said a water drop was repeatedly requested, starting at 5:30 am, on July 10.
The water did not arrive, until 3 p.m., after officials determined that a helicopter could dip into a nearby river — which contained three endangered species — for Water to fight the blaze.
About an hour later, the fire exploded. And at 5:25 p.m., Melnnis said, the four were dead.
"I ‘am very, very concerned," he said. "We need to find out it there was a delay putting water on this ... because of the Endangered Species Act."
Doug Crandall, staff director for the subcommittee
's majority Republicans. said the timeline was confirmed with local Forest Service officials, but without additional information, it is still unclear what role the water drop's delay played in the deaths.