August 20, 2001UI President Urges Land-Grant UniversitiesTo Join Forces with Government and IndustryTo Battle Eco-Terrorism
CONTACTS: UI President Bob Hoover, (208) 885-9191, [email protected]; A. Larry Branen, dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, (208) 885-6681, [email protected]; Marty Peterson, special assistant to the president for governmental affairs, (208) 334-2999, [email protected]; or Kathy Barnard, University Communications and Marketing, (208) 885-6291, [email protected]
SUN VALLEY, Idaho -- Land-grant universities must join forces with the federal government and private industry to more actively battle eco-terrorism attacks against university researchers, according to Bob Hoover, president of the University of Idaho and a member of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC) Board of Directors.
"There are some very fundamental issues of academic freedom and the right of intellectual inquiry involved with this," Hoover told nearly 100 governmental affairs specialists from universities throughout the United States who are meeting in Sun Valley this week. "The ultimate goal of these terrorists -- to use the threat of violence to limit scholarly inquiry -- should be abhorrent to the entire academic community. I encourage NASULGC to become pro-active in working with the federal government and private industry in addressing these problems."
The new Agricultural Biotechnology Laboratory on the University of Idaho campus in Moscow has been the target of two separate attacks by the Earth Liberation Front, even before it has become fully operational. The president also cited recent attacks at the University of Washington's Center for Urban Horticulture, Washington State University, Michigan State University and Western Washington University, which caused millions of dollars in damage.
"Most of us think of terrorism as something that occurs only in other regions of the world," Hoover said. "Unfortunately, university research facilities in the United States are a growing target for terrorist activity as well. The problems of eco-terrorism are having a growing impact on our ability to conduct research and operate university research facilities."
Eco-terrorism also is requiring universities to divert scarce financial and human resources to support increased security and repair damage to facilities, he added. Hoover urged the group not to underestimate those associated with groups such as ELF.
"These are highly sophisticated individuals," he said. "A visit to their website provides detailed information on such subjects as 'Setting Fires with Electrical Timer.'"
And yet, Hoover noted, they are not well informed. "At WSU, they uprooted raspberries instead of the poplar trees they were targeting, and at the UW horticultural center, they actually undermined efforts to save an endangered plant species. That kind of imprecision just widens the circle of risk for researchers."
Hoover said eco-terrorism is receiving growing attention from federal officials, such as Washington Congressman George Nethercutt, Congresswoman Darlene Hooley and Sen. Ron Wyden, both of Oregon, as well as from corporate officials and law enforcement officers. "Both the corporate community and law enforcement officials believe that it would be beneficial for universities to enter into a collaborative effort to consider the problems of laboratory security and possible means of addressing this issue."
However, the president added, "It is equally important that we consider the role of universities in educating our students and the public about the importance of molecular biology, biotechnology and genetic research. Universities provide the best forum for presenting factual information concerning the full scope of issues relating to this research and its implications for the environment and humankind."
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EDITOR'S NOTE: Video clips of President Hoover's address are available at www.its.uidaho.edu/president/ or http://www.its.uidaho.edu/today
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