Take Action to Strengthen the Migratory Bird Treaty Act

Two of our Northern Virginia Representatives (Reps. Don Beyer and Gerry Connolly) are co-sponsors of H.B. 4833, the Migratory Bird Protection Act. If you are in the district of any of Northern Virginia’s other Representatives (Rob Wittman, 1^st District; Bob Good, 5^th District; Abagail Spanberger, 7^th District; or Jennifer Wexton, 10^th District), let them know you want them to support the bill and sign on as co-sponsors.  You can verify who your representative is here. 

North America’s birds need strengthened protection now more than ever.  Over the last 50 years North America has lost over 3 billion birds (Rosenberg, Kenneth V., et al., Decline of the North American avifauna, Science, Vol. 366, No. 6461, pp. 120-124), and the bill’s policies can reduce some of the hazards faced by resident and migratory birds.

The bill would unequivocally reverse recent policy changes that limited Migratory Bird Treaty Act protections to intentional taking of migratory birds, eliminating protections from incidental taking.  The bill also would establish a permitting process for “incidental take” through which relevant businesses would implement best management practices and document compliance, further driving innovation in how to best prevent bird deaths. A permitting program provides affected industries with regulatory certainty and at the same time reduces avoidable harm to birds.  Associated fees would increase funding for bird conservation and research. 

Increased protection from industrial hazards is vital.  Avian losses from collisions and electrocutions from power lines have been estimated between 8.0 and 57.3 million birds per year; and mortality from collisions with communications towers are estimated at 6.8 million birds per year.  See Audubon News Release.  Many of those deaths are preventable when industry employs best management practices, which could be required by incidental take permits.

Please contact your representative today. Links to contact information are on our website.   

-Audubon Society of Northern Virginia