Dear NRDC Activist,

Amid a global biodiversity crisis, the Trump administration continues to bow to pressure from the oil and gas industry to gut the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA).

A century-old common sense law, the MBTA safeguards more than one thousand bird species from threats like illegal hunting, toxic waste, and oil spills. That is, until the Trump administration came into power.

The bottom line: If the administration succeeds, industrial activity that kills or injures migratory birds will go unpunished — with devastating consequences for wildlife.

Trump's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is asking for public input on its rollback and weakening of the MBTA, so let's make our voices heard and overwhelm them with letters of opposition before the 3/19 deadline.

One of our country's oldest conservation laws, the MBTA saved millions (yes, millions!) of birds every year. It's credited with rescuing the snowy egret, the wood duck, the sandhill crane, and many other species from the brink of extinction.

How did the MBTA do this? In large part, by holding corporations accountable for the millions of preventable bird deaths they cause each year.

For example, when the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil disaster killed more than a million birds, BP paid $100 million in criminal fines for violating the MBTA. Under the Trump administration's reinterpretation of the law, industries are no longer held accountable.

There could not be a worse time to weaken the MBTA. We've lost 3 billion North American birds since 1970 and climate change is threatening to wipe out two-thirds of ALL bird species.

Join our fight to save the MBTA: Submit an official public comment opposing the Trump administration's efforts to roll back critical protections for migratory birds.

The administration is fast-tracking its efforts to lock in these disastrous rollbacks, turning a blind eye to the concerns of members of Congress, former wildlife officials, researchers, and the public.

But make no mistake: The Trump administration does not have the legal authority to gut the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. NRDC is in court right now fighting the Trump administration's reinterpretation of the MBTA.

NRDC won't stop fighting in and out of court to save the MBTA because we know how much is on the line. Thank you for standing with us and giving a voice to birds when they need us most.

Sincerely,

Katie Umekubo
Senior Attorney, Nature Program, NRDC

P.S. Please help us document and highlight the harm that has already been inflicted by the administration's Migratory Bird Treaty Act rollbacks. Have you witnessed industrial activities that have killed or harmed birds? Are you a researcher, wildlife biologist, or rehabilitator whose work is directly impacted by this change? Your input could help support our legal challenge and inform the rulemaking process. Share your personal stories of on-the-ground impacts to birds in your letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The mission of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is to safeguard the Earth: its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. We appreciate the opportunity to communicate with you and other NRDC Activists. We are committed to protecting your privacy and will never sell, exchange or rent your email address. Receive Less Email | Unsubscribe | Update Your Information | About Us | Contact Us | Privacy Policy

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