Please take time to send in your comments!
If letters haven't already been drafted and sent, I think both the Boards
of the Beckham Bird Club and the Kentucky Ornithological Society should
submit statements.
Bird protections are under attack in a major way and we have two weeks to
make our voices heard. In 2017 the Administration ceased enforcement of
penalties for bird deaths caused by avoidable industrial hazards. Now the
Fish and Wildlife Service wants to codify that rule. The new rule would
apply the Migratory Bird Treaty Act protections only when an activity
“purposefully” kills birds. The comment period for the draft Environmental
Impact Statement for this new rule is midnight July 20th. Submit your
comments here.
https://www.regulations.gov/comment?D=FWS-HQ-MB-2018-0090-8411
This link summarizes the Alternatives in the draft EIS. Alternative B is
the best alternative to return the protections we have traditionally relied
on. You should make reference to this in your letter.
https://www.fws.gov/birds/news/200605MBTA.php
This link takes you to an excellent description of what the loss of these
protections would mean and has talking points you can use for your letter
https://abcbirds.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/MBTA-DEIS-talking-points.pdf?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=a1553894-24c1-4bcf-aa5c-2e60a5c87d96
Mary Yandell
Louisville
