Mt. Graham red squirrel population may be overestimated, report says

The internal report, dated July 23 was released to the public last week, pointed out potential errors in the ongoing survey of Mount Graham red squirrels. The scientists interpreting census data may have counted some squirrels more than once, thus overestimating the total population, the report stated.

"There is always error in this type of situation," said UA biologist Paul Young, supervisor of the Mount Graham red squirrel monitoring team.

"Evidence can be misinterpreted, but it's very rare," he added.

The UA is required to keep count of the squirrel population around the observatory site about 100 miles east of Tucson. This ensures the project is not forcing the endangered sub-species into extinction.

Scientists from the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, state game and fish department and the UA make up the team that monitors the squirrel population for all of Mount Graham.

One local environmental group called the report evidence the number of squirrels is being intentionally inflated to promote further development of the telescope project.

In a Dec. 2 news release, the Southwest Center for Biological Diversity contended the squirrel census was purposely faulty.

"The monitoring program's control areas being used have never passed any generally accepted scientific, peer-review process," the release stated. "Deceit and collusion by agency and UA officials to promote the Mount Graham telescopes is nothing new."

The telescope project, which began in 1986 near Safford, has been under fire from environmentalist groups since the planning stages.

Monitoring project supervisor Young called these claims "hogwash."

"First of all, the game and fish report doesn't say that (the squirrel-estimating process) is inaccurate," Young said. "It just says it's a possibility."

The game and fish report did not speculate on a connection between the observatory project and the census error, focusing only on a possible faulty assumption made by scientists interpreting the census data.

According to the report, red squirrels store food in caches called middens, and to estimate population, surveyors actually count the middens - not the squirrels.

Biologists had assumed each squirrel maintained only one midden, but the AGFD report pointed to evidence that some squirrels store food in more than one place.

The fall 1997 population estimate was 364 squirrels, the highest autumn count in five years.

According to Young, the possible error does not apply to UA biologists because they try to count actual squirrels and only resort to counting middens if the squirrels don't appear after multiple attempts.

Also, unlike the UA team, other squirrel-counting agencies on Mount Graham use sample areas to extrapolate the total population of squirrels, Young said.

Young said the AGFD report is simply an attempt by scientists to make their results more accurate, adding they wouldn't knowingly make inaccurate calculations for the sake of the telescope project.

"There's no attempt to inflate the numbers," Young said. "The game and forest services have nothing to gain from it."

In addition to concerns over wildlife, other protests have focused on sacred Mount Graham American Indian sites affected by the project.