Politics and Bull Trout

According to Sherry Devlin of the Missoula, Montana Missoulian, an analysis of the potential benefits of bull trout recovery, done for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, was re-edited in Washington to include only the costs of protecting the fish. According to the reporter, Diane Katzenberger, an information officer in the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Denver office, said that “The removal was a policy decision made at the Washington level.” The report had touted several benefits of bull trout protection, including reduced drinking water costs, irrigation and in-stream flow benefits.