GOVERNMENT AND THE GOVERNED

[Bob Parcelles,Jr.]

GREETINGS:

There has been a lot of apologists etc. for the firing
of Ian Thomas.  Here are the facts.

Bob Parcelles, Jr.
Pinellas Park, FL

#######################################################

I doubt apologies will be necessary in this case.

The map for which Ian Thomas has been fired has been 
recovered through some
fluke and is now online at www.maptricks.com.  I think
the 
map is busy and
hard to read, but all it is is a cartographic
frequency 
diagram based on
previously published data available at 
http://arctic.fws.gov/pchmaps.html --
including a previously published frequency map on the
FWS 
web site.  Thomas
basically overlaid the calving data on a land use/land

cover data from
satellite imagery and other sources.  I doubt the
changes, 
even under
current regulations, warrant an entirely new
scientific 
review process.

Thus, the data is already in the public domain.  It's
also 
apparent that,
based on the maps present on the FWS web site, that
caribou 
tend to move
their calving area from year to year.  More up-to-date
data 
were available
in that the data on from the year 2000 were under
review.  
However, that
does not change the location of calving areas from
1982 to 
1999 -- the years
on which his map was based.

Some of the web pages have been restored.  Note this 
disclaimer on one web
page that has been reposted to the Internet

"WARNING: Since some of these maps have not been peer 
reviewed, they are not
citable and have no metadata. A few maps here are just

plain wrong and still
need work."

The text of the warning is located at
http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/geotech/current.html --
in the 
second
paragraph.

If officials were so worried about unreviewed data,
why 
repost this page
after it has allegedly been "reviewed?"

Now, as to Thomas straying from his task order --
migratory 
birds -- look at
these entries from the reposted home page
(http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/geotech/):

Mapping Frog & Toad calling surveys
North American Amphibian Monitoring Program (NAAMP)
Search The Inventory and Monitoring Site for More 
Information
Volunteer to Survey for Deformed Frogs on Refuges
Volunteer for Frog & Toad Call Surveys

The last time I checked, frogs and toads were listed
as 
amphibians, not
avians.

Thomas has also informed me that he was part of a
proposal, 
recently
approved, to examine the effects of mineral
exploration on 
biodiversity.
Even though he made no reference to the plans to open
ANWR 
to oil
exploration, the map for which he got fired should
have 
fallen within the
scope of that proposal.

Chew on this folks,

Dave Lawrence

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 David M. Lawrence                  | Home:  (804)
559-9786
 9272-G Hanover Crossing Drive      | Fax:   (804)
559-9787
 Mechanicsville, VA  23116          | Email:
dave at fuzzo.com
 USA                                | http:  
http://fuzzo.com
------------------------------------------------------------------------

"We have met the enemy and he is us."  -- Pogo

"No trespassing
 4/17 of a haiku"  --  Richard Brautigan

#######################################################

=====
Bob Parcelles, Jr
Pinellas Park, FL
RJP Associates <rjpassociates at yahoo.com>
rjparcelles at yahoo.com
http://rainforest.care2.com/welcome?w=976131876
"Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life."- Confucius

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. 
http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/

 
 ------------------------------------------------------------ 

   For subscription and related information about LEPS-L visit:

   http://www.peabody.yale.edu/other/lepsl