House Resources Committee Chair Don Young, R-Alaska, is asking the Justice Department to turn over information about its employees' affiliations with environmental groups as part of an investigation of lawsuits over endangered species in the Southwest.
Young, who was criticized for requesting similar information from the U.S. Forest Service, asked in a July 28 letter to Peter Coppelman of DOJ's Environment and Natural Resources Division whether any employees are members of or have given money to the Santa Fe-based Forest Guardians or the Tucson-based Southwest Center for Biological Diversity. Young also requested names of employees who are involved in endangered species litigation in the region who have "environmental ties."
Justice Department lawyers were involved in negotiating a settlement between environmental groups and the USFS limiting grazing in Arizona and New Mexico. Coppelman was given until Aug. 15 to respond, and "it is not clear whether ... [he] has sent a response." (Keith Easthouse, Santa Fe New Mexican, 8/21).
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