Slip-Sliming Away

Have our threatened species found a friend in the federal courts?

Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters.


A pinkie-length salamander recently slithered onto the endangered species list, starting a political brawl as ugly as the Texas critter itself.

Earlier this year, Mother Jones reported how the federal government consistently caves in to state lobbyists and politicians who oppose adding creatures to the Endangered Species Act’s list (“Basic Extinct,” January/February). Remember the Barton Springs salamander, which Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt refused to add to the list two years ago? Even when it appeared that only seven of the salamanders remained, he opted for a vague “conservation agreement” between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the state of Texas that denied the tiny amphibian the strict protections provided by the act. The deal benefited housing developers, who wanted to build near the salamander’s sole habitat.

But in April, Babbitt announced he’d add the rare amphibian to the list after all. His change of heart was prompted by federal Judge Lucius Bunton: “Strong political pressure was applied to the secretary to withdraw the proposed listing of the salamander,” the judge wrote — reminding Babbitt that, by law, listing decisions should be based on scientific concerns only.

Conservationists are elated. “This is a rare victory for science over politics,” says David Hillis, a zoology professor at the University of Texas.

And such victories may soon be more common. This spring, federal judges made similar decisions in cases involving the jaguar in the Southwest and the Canadian lynx in the Northwest. The jaguar case had special significance, according to environmentalists, because it was the first time a judge demanded that a species be added to the list (usually judges merely require the interior secretary to reconsider his decision).

State politicians grouse about these aggressive moves by the courts. Texas Gov. George Bush, who received more than $100,000 from land development interests during the last election cycle, is “sorely disappointed” by Babbitt’s salamander ruling. “We had entered into a workable conservation agreement with the federal government and they essentially cut and ran,” says Bush’s press aide.

THE FACTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.

At least we hope they will, because that’s our approach to raising the $350,000 in online donations we need right now—during our high-stakes December fundraising push.

It’s the most important month of the year for our fundraising, with upward of 15 percent of our annual online total coming in during the final week—and there’s a lot to say about why Mother Jones’ journalism, and thus hitting that big number, matters tremendously right now.

But you told us fundraising is annoying—with the gimmicks, overwrought tone, manipulative language, and sheer volume of urgent URGENT URGENT!!! content we’re all bombarded with. It sure can be.

So we’re going to try making this as un-annoying as possible. In “Let the Facts Speak for Themselves” we give it our best shot, answering three questions that most any fundraising should try to speak to: Why us, why now, why does it matter?

The upshot? Mother Jones does journalism you don’t find elsewhere: in-depth, time-intensive, ahead-of-the-curve reporting on underreported beats. We operate on razor-thin margins in an unfathomably hard news business, and can’t afford to come up short on these online goals. And given everything, reporting like ours is vital right now.

If you can afford to part with a few bucks, please support the reporting you get from Mother Jones with a much-needed year-end donation. And please do it now, while you’re thinking about it—with fewer people paying attention to the news like you are, we need everyone with us to get there.

payment methods

THE FACTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.

At least we hope they will, because that’s our approach to raising the $350,000 in online donations we need right now—during our high-stakes December fundraising push.

It’s the most important month of the year for our fundraising, with upward of 15 percent of our annual online total coming in during the final week—and there’s a lot to say about why Mother Jones’ journalism, and thus hitting that big number, matters tremendously right now.

But you told us fundraising is annoying—with the gimmicks, overwrought tone, manipulative language, and sheer volume of urgent URGENT URGENT!!! content we’re all bombarded with. It sure can be.

So we’re going to try making this as un-annoying as possible. In “Let the Facts Speak for Themselves” we give it our best shot, answering three questions that most any fundraising should try to speak to: Why us, why now, why does it matter?

The upshot? Mother Jones does journalism you don’t find elsewhere: in-depth, time-intensive, ahead-of-the-curve reporting on underreported beats. We operate on razor-thin margins in an unfathomably hard news business, and can’t afford to come up short on these online goals. And given everything, reporting like ours is vital right now.

If you can afford to part with a few bucks, please support the reporting you get from Mother Jones with a much-needed year-end donation. And please do it now, while you’re thinking about it—with fewer people paying attention to the news like you are, we need everyone with us to get there.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate