United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2002-03-06 monographic deposited born digital 13 p. GA 1.13:GAO-02-488R https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-488R P0b002ee180382cea f:d02488r DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-488R machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-488R GAO-02-488R Biological research Endangered animals Endangered species Investigations into federal agencies National forests Testing Ashley National Forest (UT) Canada Gifford Pinchot National Forest (WA) National Interagency Canada Lynx Survey National Lynx Detection Protocol National Survey for the Ashley National Forest Correspondence A02855 The National Interagency Canada Lynx Survey (Protocol) was designed to determine the presence of Canada lynx through deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) analysis of hair samples recovered from scratch pads in forests in the northern United States. Beginning in January 2002, GAO investigated the submission of unauthorized samples to the University of Montana's laboratory as part of the National Survey and investigated whether the biologists involved had communications about their submissions. GAO found were four instances in which unauthorized hair samples, not obtained from the Wenatchee and Gifford Pinchot National Forests, were submitted for DNA testing as part of the National Survey for those forests. These included one submission on bobcat hair in 1999, and three submissions of lynx hair in September and October 2000. The biologists maintain that they submitted these samples to test the accuracy of the work done by the laboratory, although they knew that the Protocol for the National Survey did not provide for such action. They also said that they did not have the authority to make these submissions and that they were aware that they had alternatives for testing the laboratory other than submitting samples as part of the survey. GAO summarized this report in testimony before Congress, see GAO-02-496T. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-488R/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-488R.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-488R/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-488R.pdf GAO-02-488R https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-488R Correspondence GAO-02-488R; Unauthorized Hair Samples Submitted for Analysis; Biological research Endangered animals Endangered species Investigations into federal agencies National forests Testing Ashley National Forest (UT) Canada Gifford Pinchot National Forest (WA) National Interagency Canada Lynx Survey National Lynx Detection Protocol National Survey for the Ashley National Forest