#migratory bird treaty act

[siliquasquama]

Well that's a real feather in your cap! Except not because then you would be violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act which was specifically enacted to destroy the feathered-hat industry which was pushing multiple bird species into extinction at the time and if there's any new demand for feathers in hats the whole problem will start again. Yeah no, don't put that thing in your hat. Don't even carry it home. Just toss it to the wind. It belongs to the wind. Let it go, dude.

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from USA Today:

A subsidiary of one of the largest U.S. providers of renewable energy pleaded guilty to criminal charges and was ordered to pay over $8 million in fines and restitution after at least 150 eagles were killed at its wind farms in eight states, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.

NextEra Energy subsidiary ESI Energy was also sentenced to five years probation after being charged with three counts of violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act during a court appearance in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The charges arose from the deaths of nine eagles at three wind farms in Wyoming and New Mexico.

In addition to those deaths, the company acknowledged the deaths of golden and bald eagles at 50 wind farms affiliated with ESI and NextEra since 2012, prosecutors said. Birds were killed in eight states: Wyoming, California, New Mexico, North Dakota, Colorado, Michigan, Arizona and Illinois.

NextEra, based in Juno Beach, Florida, bills itself as the world's largest utility company by market value. It has more than 100 wind farms in the U.S. and Canada and also generates natural gas, nuclear and solar power

Almost all of the eagles killed at the NextEra subsidiary's facilities were struck by the blades of wind turbines, prosecutors said. Some turbines killed multiple eagles and because the carcasses are not always found, officials said the number killed was likely higher than the 150 birds cited in court documents.

[vogelfanger1984]

Happy bird conservation week! I am very happy to see that the current administration is taking steps in the right direction by restoring the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Federal protection for birds is more important than ever when billions of birds are killed by human activity every year.

[furryalligator]

This 1966 stamp commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act between the US & Canada. To protect birds from extinction, the statute makes it unlawful without a waiver to hunt, capture, kill or sell birds. #LiveBirdFriendly #WMBD2021 @SMBC @NationalZoo pic.twitter.com/uflonht8mR — Postal Museum (@PostalMuseum) May 7, 2021

[bones-are-neato]

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-administration-moves-forward-with-plan-to-end-wild-bird-protections

[theraptorcage]

@awaiisho This is specifically in reference to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, possessing any part of a bird on that list is considered a federal offense.

Now, it's HIGHLY unlikely that you will face any repercussions from just finding a feather in the woods and quietly tucking it away into a personal collection because that's not really in line with the spirit of the law. It's mostly to dissuade and punish people who are willing to kill, injure, or harass endangered birds for their plumage/body parts in order to sell them. It's just a better idea to leave them where they are to avoid any potential problems.

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this press release from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service:

Twenty-one years ago, the passage of the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (NMBCA) spurred new opportunities for innovation in bird conservation that continues today. This year, birds and people throughout the Americas will benefit from a new round of projects under the act, totaling more than $27 million in federal grants and matching funds.

The NMBCA provides critical support each year for bird conservation and research throughout the Western Hemisphere. It is the only source of federal funding solely dedicated to the conservation of our shared migratory bird heritage. This year, more than $4.8 million in federal funds will be matched by more than $22.5 million in partner contributions going to 30 collaborative conservation projects in 23 countries across the Americas.

“Birds bring millions of Americans joy and connection to nature. Migratory bird conservation extends beyond our borders and depends on partnerships with other nations as well as states, Tribes, conservation organizations and many others here in the U.S.,” said Service Principal Deputy Director Martha Williams. “What happens in Latin America and the Caribbean affects the birds that visit our backyards every spring and summer. These grants will support cooperative conservation projects and research throughout the hemisphere.”

There are 386 species of neotropical migratory birds that migrate to and from and through the U.S. each year, including songbirds, shorebirds and birds of prey. In addition to their role in pollination, seed dispersal and pest control, birds also provide early warnings of the effects of climate change and environmental contamination and contribute billions of dollars to the economy through bird watching and bird feeding industries.

The NMBCA program is specifically designed to send at least 75% of its funding to projects in Latin America and the Caribbean, where habitat loss and other threats to migratory birds that spend part of their lives in the U.S. are significant and conservation funding is scarce. Because the program works throughout the Western Hemisphere, it is able to support the full life-cycle needs of the birds.

We have lost nearly 3 billion birds in North America since 1970. These conservation investments will help many of the most at-risk species, such as wood thrush and prairie warblers, in their breeding, migration and wintering grounds. The funding will also help prevent these species from being listed as threatened or endangered and prioritization is given to more imperiled species that are listed on the Service’s Birds of Conservation Concern report.

[chainsxwsmile-personal]

I don’t do callouts but this is serious.

@mutenostrilagony is breaking MBTA (Migratory Bird Treaty Act) by unlawfully taking a C.arolina W.ren specimen. They’ve blocked me but I’ve saved the draft

WARNING DEAD ANIMAL BELOW

MBTA is here for a reason and is the sole reason why snowy egrets and other species haven’t been decimated for FEATHERED HATS.

MBTA violations can cause the violator to be fined up to 20.000$ and spend 6-7 months in prison

By all means, be gay do crime, but wildlife laws are there for a reason.

Vulture responsibly

[postalpundit]

Ex-wildlife chief: Trump rule could kill billions of birds

After several thousand migrating snow geese perished in the Berkeley Pit's acidic, metal-laden waters in 2016, its owners deployed a sophisticated arsenal to frighten away flocks, including lasers, drones, fireworks and remote-controlled boats.

Montana Resources already had been hazing incoming birds with spotlights and rifle shots into the water — and a spokesman says those existing deterrents likely helped the company avoid a penalty or prosecution under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

But the Trump administration wants to end the 50-year practice of using the criminal penalties under the migratory bird law to pressure companies into taking measures like these to prevent unintentional bird deaths.

Critics— including top Interior Department officials from Republican and Democratic administrations — say the proposed change could devastate threatened and endangered species and accelerate a bird population decline across North America since the 1970s.

https://www.startribune.com/ex-wildlife-chief-trump-rule-could-kill-billions-of-birds/569254892/