Here is more about the effect of the elections on the Interior Western U.S. and the environment.
The change in who chairs the congressional committees will make a huge difference. Anti-wildlife House Resources chair Richard Pombo, will not only lose his chairmanship, but his congressional seat.
In the US Senate, Jim Imhofe, who gets his information about global warming from a science fiction writer, will lose his chairmanship to become ranking minority member of the Senate Environment and Public Works committee. Many other beneficial changes for wildlife and conservation in Congress will happen.
As a political scientist, my view is that the most important aspect of wildlife management is getting the right politics. It’s not biology.
Added Nov. 14. Here some more about Imhofe. He’s going serve out his last month-and-a-half as committee chairman in part by investigating a children’s book on climate change. The Carpetbagger Report gives details.
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Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University with specialties in natural resource politics, public opinion, interest groups, political parties, voting and elections. Aside from academic publications, he is author or co-author of three hiking/backpacking guides, and he is past President of the Western Watersheds Project.
