Ex-wildlife officers say investigation 'rotten'

ATLANTA - Two former officers with the state Department of Natural Resources say political interference ended their investigation of the illegal poisoning of wildlife on 16 exclusive quail-hunting plantations. <br> <br> ``It was stopped cold because of pressure,&#39;&#39; said John Baldwin, a former DNR game warden in Dougherty County. <br> <br> In 1999, conservation rangers found three alligators, several raccoons, squirrels, snakes, a red-tail hawk, songbirds and other species dead near chicken eggs that had been injected with carbofuran. <br> <br> The pesticide, which can be deadly to humans, must be purchased with a permit. It was used on the plantation to kill predators that eat quail eggs, decreasing the populations of the game birds. <br> <br> An investigation by state and federal wildlife authorities ended with several thousand dollars in misdemeanor fines paid by four plantation owners. <br> <br> Last month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reopened the investigation, subjecting plantation owners to significant federal fines. The EPA accused two plantation owners of using poisoned eggs and said it was considering taking action against others. <br> <br> Some of the 16 plantations belong to some of Georgia&#39;s wealthiest and most influential people, including Atlanta developer Tom Cousins, Gwinnett County businessman Virgil Williams and Albany businessman Fred Taylor, the father of Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor. <br> <br> DNR Commissioner Lonice Barrett said he was never under pressure from plantation owners or politicians to halt the probe. <br> <br> ``We did everything we could to stop this horrible practice on the plantations,&#39;&#39; Barrett said. <br> <br> However, Walt Taylor, who was DNR&#39;s law enforcement chief at the time, said there was no doubt in his mind that political interference stopped the investigation before the full magnitude of the poisoned-egg use could be uncovered.