Steelhead huggers (and that includes us) will be pleased to hear a federal judge has kicked a truly ludicrous lawsuit to the curb, refusing to strip protections from five California steelhead populations.
Those with a finely tuned sense of irony will find the irrigator’s argument especially amusing:
In the second case, a group of Central Valley irrigators argued that ocean-going Central Valley steelhead population should be removed from the endangered species list based on their opinion that freshwater resident rainbow trout might someday replace extinct steelhead populations.
That’s right, Undegrounders - steelhead and rainbow trout are essentialy the same, at least if you’re an irrigator bent on squeezing even more water from your own heavily subsidized government teat.
I haven’t yet found out if Favorite Underground Whipping Boys Westlands Irrigation District were part of the suit, though we’ll keep looking.
The judge also dealt a setback to the Pacific Legal Foundation, who doesn’t see any difference between hatchery steelhead and the real thing:
In the first case, anti-environment group Pacific Legal Foundation, which represents loggers and water users, argued that the National Marine Fisheries Service must make Endangered Species Act ( ESA ) listing decisions based simply on the numbers of hatchery steelhead produced each year. PLF asked the court to remove five separate populations of steelhead from the list of endangered species based on the presence of hatchery fish.
To the Pacific Legal Foundation, the Underground and the World’s Steelhead Huggers offer this Compelling Closing Argument: Bite Us Hard.
See you in court, Tom Chandler.
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What can you say, but some days the sun shines brighter than others. Let’s hope the courts keep up the good work for the next three months as the usual end of regime shenanigans take place. If the weather and fishing lately are any indication, it will be grand.
Love your headline over this posting. Taku makes a fine point. “End-of-regime shenanigans” says it all.
Yes, many are acting as if the new administration assumes power today (the day after the election). The Current Occupant has a couple months left to wreak havoc on the environment, and it’s pretty clear that’s his goal.