Washington, DC - One-third of National Wildlife Refuges in

the Southeast U.S. are growing genetically modified crops with approval

from the official tapped by the Obama White House to head the U.S. Fish

& Wildlife Service, according to agency records obtained today by

Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). Planting GM

crops on a wildlife refuge is illegal without full prior environmental

and public review under a federal court ruling won by PEER and allied

groups last year, but none of the Southeastern refuges have undertaken

the required reviews.

National wildlife refuges have allowed farming for decades in

order to help prepare seed beds for native habitat such as grasslands

and provide food for migratory birds and other wildlife. In recent

years, refuge farming programs are being converted to GM crops because

that is the seed that farmers can obtain or, in some case, prefer.

Today, almost all the crops being grown on refuges are genetically

modified.

By law and policy, these refuges are supposed to be administered to

benefit wildlife, not local farmers. In fact, Fish & Wildlife

Service (FWS) policy explicitly forbids "genetically modified

agricultural crops in refuge management unless we determine their use

is essential to accomplishing refuge purpose(s)". By contrast to this

policy, in the Southeast Region, headed by Sam Hamilton, named by the

Obama administration as its intended nominee to lead the entire FWS,

records show –

• One in three (41 of 128 total refuges) are growing GM crops;
• No refuge has been denied permission for GM crops; and
• The basis for Hamilton's Regional Office approval typically cites farmers' profitability or their preference for GM crops.

"What is supposed to be a last resort exception has become common

practice," stated PEER Executive Direct Jeff Ruch, who obtained copies

of all GM crop approvals from the FWS under the Freedom of Information

Act. "Sam Hamilton seems to embrace genetically engineered refuge

management with open arms."

Earlier this year in a lawsuit brought by PEER and other groups, a

federal court ordered FWS to stop planting GM crops on its Prime Hook

National Wildlife Refuge in Delaware. The court found that FWS had

illegally entered into Cooperative Farming Agreements without doing

compatibility determinations required by the National Wildlife Refuge

System Administration Act and environmental assessments required by the

National Environmental Policy Act. While the ruling was limited to one

refuge, its legal rationale applies to every refuge across the country.

The records obtained by PEER indicated that refuges in Hamilton's

region had not done the legally required reviews. "The next Director of

the Fish & Wildlife Service should have demonstrated both the

ability and willingness to follow the very laws that the agency is

supposed to administer," Ruch added. "Sam Hamilton's record strongly

suggests business as usual will continue at the Fish & Wildlife

Service."

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See the list of SE refuges growing GM crops

Look at the spread of GM crops across the National Wildlife Refuge System

View U.S. District Court ruling on PEER lawsuit barring GM crops on Prime Hook NWR

Examine Sam Hamilton's record

Read some of the Southeast Region approvals for GM crops

Author's Bio: A lover of all things earthy and natural.A player of many roles :Daughter,sister wife,mother of three,aunt,grand aunt,friend,singer,blogger,gardener.... One of my favourite quotes: "Deliverance is not for me in renunciation, I feel the embrace of freedom in a thousand bonds of delight." Tagore.

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