USGS Fraud brought to light

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stlouisdude
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USGS Fraud brought to light

Post by stlouisdude »

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Josh Holbrook
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Re: USGS Fraud brought to light

Post by Josh Holbrook »

What does this have to do with field herping?
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lateralis
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Re: USGS Fraud brought to light

Post by lateralis »

The USGS report on pythons comes to mind as well as the mammal study in ENP. I have a friend who worked with USGS during the construction of the border wall in CA and AZ and he didn't have many positive things to say about them.
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WSTREPS
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Re: USGS Fraud brought to light

Post by WSTREPS »

I posted this story a few days ago in the NEWS FORUM (linked below) and made a few comments based on points found in the Inspector General offices report.

http://www.fieldherpforum.com/forum/vie ... 13&t=23534

Everyone should read it. This story outlines all the things I have been saying about the bogus methodology found in science. Invasive species science in particular. The fraud behind the science and its motives.
What does this have to do with field herping?
Field herping as well as many other things are adversely affected by junk science. The USGS has been a major contributor and supporter of reptilian JUNK science and have influenced or joined forces with many others in this game of junk science for pay .

What happened at this lab is not an isolated incident you can be sure. By cooking the books scientist bring in a lot of funding. In this case they got away with it for nearly two decades. Its that easy.

The funding generated by bogus invasive species scares backed by the accompanying junk science is huge and easy pickings. Especially in todays overbearing world of brain washing and liberal media hype. Its almost impossible to be caught. Its a scam made in Heaven for these creeps and they are making the most of it.
" USGS is pursuing disciplinary actions for the responsible staff. "


This statement from the Inspector General offices report is a complete joke.

Ernie Eison
stlouisdude
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Re: USGS Fraud brought to light

Post by stlouisdude »

IMO committing fraud on the puiblic's dime should warrant a criminal punishment. At most, the lackeys at the bottom of the totem pole will be fired while the higher paid employees likely given early retirement or reassigned to continue committing fraud elsewhere. It will be interesting to do see where they are a year from now. Absolutely USGS data can and will impact field herpers, what they can bag for photo shoots, how and what they handle, the level of aggressiveness that existing rules are enforced, etc.
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WSTREPS
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Re: USGS Fraud brought to light

Post by WSTREPS »

IMO committing fraud on the puiblic's dime should warrant a criminal punishment. At most, the lackeys at the bottom of the totem pole will be fired while the higher paid employees likely given early retirement or reassigned to continue committing fraud elsewhere. It will be interesting to do see where they are a year from now. Absolutely USGS data can and will impact field herpers, what they can bag for photo shoots, how and what they handle, the level of aggressiveness that existing rules are enforced, etc.
I agree and unfortunately think your right on all counts. The only way anyone involved in this will be subjected to criminal punishment. Is if they get caught shop lifting at the local thrift store.
The initial incident involved scientific misconduct that began in 1996 and continued undiscovered until 2008. The second incident began in 2008 and continued undiscovered until late 2014. This inspection focused on the second incident.


So all the crap that went on from 96 until 2008 wasn't even looked at. How much money was involved over that time frame ? Apparently no one cares. It was approximately $108 million in taxpayer funding from the fiscal year 2008 through 2014. In the report the Inspector Generals office claim the wrong doing went undiscovered for long periods of time, yet in their report it also states that
In our interviews, USGS employees consistently voiced their distrust of the lab. The employees also expressed their preference not to use the inorganic laboratory and, instead, to use other USGS laboratories or outside commercial laboratories.
Double talk anyone? Clearly the wrong doings were well known. And some ass covering was in order to lessen the blow. For all involved.

The Inspector generals Office after their inspection and findings of what they called a “chronic pattern of scientific misconduct and manipulated data" . Had this to say,
We recommend that USGS:
1. Complete the notification to stakeholders of the scientific integrity incident.


That's all. Basically telling the USGS to BS your way out of this to your customers and go on business as usual.

Ernie Eison
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Bryan Hamilton
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Re: USGS Fraud brought to light

Post by Bryan Hamilton »

We do have fun on here. How exactly would a mass spectrometry lab affect field herping? The lab we're discussing measured isotope ratios of inorganic samples.

To the boardline robin...
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WSTREPS
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Re: USGS Fraud brought to light

Post by WSTREPS »

We do have fun on here. How exactly would a mass spectrometry lab affect field herping? The lab we're discussing measured isotope ratios of inorganic samples.

To the boardline robin...
Says man who admitted that the scientist at this USGS lab were considered the "GOLD STANDARD". Wow...that says a lot about how easy it is to get over. How does this story apply to field herping? I would think that many people involved in field herping also have an interest in science.This has already been touched on in this thread. Junk science adversely effects many things. Sometimes directly and sometimes indirectly but is never positive.

The USGS and partners have been a major source, promoter and supporter of definably egregious junk science involving reptiles. Junk science that directly and sometimes indirectly hurts herpers. This story provides the perfect example of how its done, why its done and how easy it is to get away with it. It is very easy to manipulate data. And often virtually risk free as in the case of invasive species science . The primary reason is for funding. Funding that is essential to both the organization and the individual scientist. Its shameful or uneducated for anyone to try and minimalize this fact. Let alone defend the individuals and organization's involved.

Ernie Eison
gretzkyrh4
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Re: USGS Fraud brought to light

Post by gretzkyrh4 »

It's always troubling when issues like this arise, but I don't think "The Daily Caller" or any equivalent source is the best place to go for information on the subject. Why not link the actual report from the Office of the Inspector General instead.

https://www.doioig.gov/sites/doioig.gov ... Public.pdf
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WSTREPS
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Re: USGS Fraud brought to light

Post by WSTREPS »

It's always troubling when issues like this arise, but I don't think "The Daily Caller" or any equivalent source is the best place to go for information on the subject. Why not link the actual report from the Office of the Inspector General instead.
The link to the Inspector General report has already been posted. The quotes I posted were taken directly from the Office of the Inspector General report . The Daily Caller report was accurate and faithful to the facts. Below is the link to the existing thread that included the link to the Inspector General report.

http://www.fieldherpforum.com/forum/vie ... 13&t=23534

Ernie Eison
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