Pentagon Issues 'Credits' To Offset Harm to Wildlife-Payouts to Landowners Draw Criticism

[kpete]

Source: Washington Post

Pentagon Issues 'Credits' To Offset Harm to Wildlife
Payouts to Landowners Draw Criticism

By Juliet Eilperin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, February 9, 2009; Page A02

The Pentagon has been funding Texas A&M University to pay landowners near a Texas military post to protect endangered bird species on their land under a secretive program designed to free the military to conduct training activities that would damage the birds' habitats inside the post's boundaries, documents show.

Despite complaints that the program is a boondoggle for the landowners, some federal officials are pushing to replicate it at other military sites and in federal highway projects. The program's effectiveness has been questioned by several military officials, federal wildlife authorities and an independent consulting firm, which recommended that the Army cancel it.

Initially championed by former president George W. Bush and some of his political allies, the "recovery credit system" at Fort Hood in central Texas has so far paid out nearly $4.4 million to contractors and landowners.

Under the program, the Army accumulates "credits" that correspond roughly to the acreage that landowners agree to conserve for between 10 and 25 years. After banking sufficient credits, the military can use them to offset the habitat loss or harm that would stem from its activities. It must set aside 10 percent of the credits to foster the recovery of a target species.


Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/08/AR2009020802128.html?hpid=moreheadlines

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Is Bush Getting the Military to Pay Laura for Her Native Plants?
By: emptywheel Monday February 9, 2009 8:01 am

There's plenty that's stinky about this program where Texas A&M funnels money from the Pentagon to Bush's Crawford neighbors to restore wildland to make up for the habitat the military is trashing in training programs.

more:
http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2009/02/09/is-bush-getting-the-military-to-pay-laura-for-her-native-plants/