Audubon California issued its statement opposing the most recent effort to remove the California Gnatcatcher's protected status under the Endangered Species Act -- an effort that could really be described as an effort to claim that the California Gnatcatcher doesn't even exist. Over the weekend, the Los Angeles Times's Louis Sahagun dug deeper into the issue, signaling that the battle lines are being drawn. Today, an interesting letter is published in the Times by John McCormack, an assistant professor at Occidental College, attacking the science behind the delisting petition. (photo by Marci Koski/USFWS)