Texas Fauna Project

Barton Springs Salamander

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Matt Lechner, a fisheries ecologist who worked for the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, helped direct the Recovery Plan for the Barton Springs salamander from 1997 through 2003. When asked how he saw the place and rank of the salamander and other creatures, Mr. Lechner cited Aldo Leopold's book, "Game Management" (p. xxxi), and Leopold's admiration for the intrinsic value of wildlife, even compared to precious, highly guarded works of art.