*(Washington, D.C., March 19, 2021) *Virginia's Department of Wildlife
Resources has approved a groundbreaking new regulation
<https://dwr.virginia.gov/regulations/incidental-take-of-migratory-birds/>,
setting a major precedent for the protection of migratory birds. The
approved regulation aims to reduce the loss of migratory birds from
“incidental take” — the unintended but predictable killing of birds.
“The new system is the first of its kind in the country, providing a
model for other states to follow,” says Joel Merriman, American Bird
Conservancy's (ABC's) Bird-Smart Wind Energy Campaign Director. “The
conservation benefits are clear, and the rule also provides clarity to
industry on the circumstances under which unavoidable incidental take is
allowed. This all occurs through the use of established
industry-specific best practices aimed at reducing impacts.”
The federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, now over 100 years old, provides
clear protections for migratory birds. Discussions about strengthening
its implementation <https://abcbirds.org/action/petition-mbta> and
enforcement have been underway for many years, leaving an opportunity
for leadership at the state level.
“Virginia has really stepped up and shown others how this can and should
be done,” says Steve Holmer, ABC's Vice President of Policy. “The
straightforward, commonsense approach in this regulation provides a
much-needed model for other states to follow. This provides protection
for birds and long-sought regulatory certainty for industry.”
Virginia's actions follow on the heels of three years of regulatory
rollbacks at the federal level. The current Administration has begun
steps to restore lost protections for bird
<https://abcbirds.org/article/administration-revokes-opinion-that-compromised-key-bird-protections/>s;
in the meantime, declining birds
<https://abcbirds.org/article/new-study-finds-u-s-and-canada-have-lost-more-than-one-in-four-birds-in-the-past-50-years/>
are at greater risk.
“Each year, up to 1.1 billion birds are killed by industrial activities
in the U.S.,” Holmer continues. “We applaud the Virginia Department of
Wildlife Resources for taking this important step toward a solution to
this massive toll on bird populations, and strongly encourage other
states to follow their lead.”
“This is a terrific step forward for birds, and we applaud the
Commonwealth of Virginia,” says Mike Parr, ABC's President. “It is
especially encouraging to see this on the heels of restoring habitat for
waterbirds in the Hampton Roads
<https://abcbirds.org/article/hampton-roads-waterbird-colony-may-2020-milestone/>
area last spring.”
Implementation of the new regulation will begin on July 1 of this year,
marking a major milestone for migratory bird protection.
https://abcbirds.org/article/virginia-approves-groundbreaking-migratory-bird-protection-regulation/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=emailblast&omhide=true&utm_campaign=enews_april21&ms=enews_april21&emci=9e2380ac-8799-eb11-85aa-0050f237abef&emdi=626ec052-0b9a-eb11-85aa-0050f237abef&ceid=68131
