I’m angry and dismayed over the fact that two Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) biologists were involved in a breach of proper scientific protocol while involved in a continuing, multi-year joint lynx study for the U.S. Forest Service. As a biologist myself, the behavior of these biologists is not only extremely embarrassing, but unprofessional and cannot be tolerated. While the employees’ actions were isolated, and did not result in any land use recommendations on the part of the agencies involved in the study, they have cast a pall not only over the lynx study, but over our Department as a whole. What they did will undoubtedly cause many to question the integrity of other important research being conducted by our Department and other natural resource agencies. And that’s a shame.
As Director of the Department, I owe the public an apology, and pledge to work with my three chief scientists and other staff to ensure protocols are in place to prevent this from happening again. The two WDFW employees involved have been barred from further research work.
For me, personally, the revelations are especially disheartening. I spent many years training to become a biologist, and consider this a slap in the face to myself and other biologists. Our integrity and professionalism is now being questioned because of the arrogant actions of a few. But I am confident that this was an isolated occurrence, and I stand fully behind the integrity of the work performed by this Department’s outstanding biological and scientific staff.
Ironically, when I became director of the Department nearly three years ago, I set about to increase this agency’s emphasis on the development and implementation of sound science. Under my direction, for example, chief scientist positions for the Department’s three resource programs were created. The work these scientists have subsequently done with the dedicated employees working under them has not only enhanced the Department’s ability to deliver sound science, but I believe enhanced our credibility with the public.
That credibility obviously has been damaged by these recent isolated actions, and now it’s up to me and everybody in this Department to restore it.