03.18.16

House panel blasts FWS refusal to use, fund agency database

The Fish and Wildlife Service refuses to use a multimillion-dollar law enforcement records system that the Interior Department has spent more than a decade developing.

The House Natural Resources Committee highlighted the standoff at a hearing yesterday of its Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee. Both Republicans and Democrats criticized Interior's handling of the database, which is meant to be a departmentwide repository for criminal investigations.

Interior conceived the Incident Management Analysis and Reporting System in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Known as IMARS, the system has had numerous troubles since then, including the discovery that the Interior official implementing it lied about having a college degree. That official resigned when confronted by Interior's inspector general.

IMARS is now used by 4,000 of Interior's 4,900 law enforcement officers, according to Interior Deputy Assistant Secretary Harry Humbert, who testified at the hearing. While Republicans put the cost of the system at $50 million, Humbert said it cost around $9 million.

But FWS still says the system does not meet its needs, particularly when it comes to international investigations such as wildlife trafficking cases. The agency has refused to use IMARS and has withheld money since 2013, instead using the funds to upgrade and maintain its own system.

"The highest levels of DOI leadership have allowed this absolute impasse to go unresolved for years while continuing to request taxpayer funds and pump millions into the program," said subcommittee Chairman Louie Gohmert (R-Texas). "Now IMARS has been only partially deployed and is still not fully functional."

Yesterday's hearing lasted less than an hour. Democrats, while agreeing that the IMARS implementation was problematic, also questioned why the Oversight Subcommittee hasn't held hearings on other public lands issues, such as the recent occupation of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

At one point, Michigan Rep. Debbie Dingell -- the top Democrat on the subcommittee -- harshly criticized a bill from Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) and Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop (R-Utah) that would eliminate law enforcement functions at BLM and the Forest Service. H.R. 4751 would grant that authority instead to local law enforcement.

That is a dangerous response to the criminal activity at federal lands, she said, and furthers animosity toward federal officers.

"We're having a hearing. I'm working with you on cooperating. I'm agreeing that IMARS needs to be fixed," Dingell said. "But we got to show respect to law enforcement officers on our lands."


By:  Emily Yehle
Source: E&E News