"If they would've said there were lynx there when there wasn't, all that does is initiate more looking to see if there are lynx there," he said. "It wouldn't have caused a whole bunch of area to become lynx habitat."

I can at least understand the "would've" part, though it is awkward, but the part after the comma doesn't modify ANYTHING. It is either a mal-formed subordinate clause that does not modify anything in the first part, or a sentence in its own right which needs a different intorduction!

sheesh!...even in a live interview, I'd look for better sense than that!

"Pedant, pedant...pedant, pedant, pedant, pedant"..(to the 'Pink Panther' theme)