Conservationists concerned over reinterpreting of century-old conservation laws.
The president’s administration has moved to designate bird deaths due to man made constructs as accidents rather than “liabilities subject to prosecution.” The proposed reinterpretation is a result of conflicting judiciary decisions as to how to interpret the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. The original law was written to protect birds from intentional deaths, such as poaching for feathers for women’s hats.
“With five federal circuit courts of appeals divided on this question, it is important to bring regulatory certainty to the public by clarifying that the criminal scope of the MBTA only reaches to conduct intentionally injuring birds,” said Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Rob Wallace. “That said, we will continue to work collaboratively with states, cities, conservation groups, industries, trade associations and citizens to ensure that best practices are followed to minimize unintended harm to birds and their habitats.”
The National Audubon Society and others are concerned that the change would no longer require oil pits, mine sites, wind turbines, and other man made obstructions to to put up bird nets to keep birds from dying upon contact. The decision to alter the interpretation of the law is now open to the 45 day public comment period, after which a final decision is expected.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For President Trump to find the healthy balance between commerce and conservation.
- For the president’s administration as they steward the resources and wildlife of the nation.
- That the Lord would be glorified by the government’s actions.
Sources: AP, Fish and Wildlife Service
