Trump Admin Considering Rolling Back Protections for Migratory Birds
The Trump administration is considering rolling back protections for migratory birds that punished companies that accidentally killed them.
According to The Hill:
A new regulation set to be unveiled by the Interior Department would end most federal protections for migratory birds, allowing companies that accidentally kill such animals to not face punishments.
AdvertisementThe New York Times reported that a rule change set to be unveiled by the agency as soon as Thursday would codify a legal opinion issued by the Interior Department in 2017 that found that laws established to protect migratory birds should not be applied in situations where animal deaths are accidental.
When in effect, the rule change would allow companies that to not set up safeguard to prevent the deaths of migratory birds from facing penalties, as only deliberate killings would now be considered actionable. The change would come as the agency has already largely stopped investigating such deaths under the Trump administration, according to the Times.
The proposed change was immediately criticized by environmental groups, who said that it would allow companies to get away with not taking action to prevent accidental deaths.
Many environmental groups and liberal states are taking legal action to reverse the rule which they say puts birds at risk.
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About The Author
I am an ardent supporter of President Trump, but I do believe there is no harm in trying to protect migratory birds as long as we do not go overboard as the Environmental Protection Agency often does.
You can bet business doesn’t give a rats behind about birds and if the punishments come off more birds will die. Believe me I am not a tree hugger and am opposed to this rule change. Bird population is down with the rules in place. I intend to write the White House.
If we are really concerned about migratory birds, we should outlaw all windmills.
Here’s an idea about protecting birds. How about de-certifying those monstrous eagle killing wind farms that are essentially useless in terms of creating a significant amount of usable energy. These ridiculous ultra expensive eco toys are a complete failure and a disgusting blemish on any landscape they occupy.
Agree with the wind farm bird killing machines. Environmentalists, who weep over the death of a bird, haven’t even pulled out a tissue to wipe their eyes over the deaths of millions of birds by these giant wind farms. My parents lived in west Texas where those monstrosities have ruined the landscape visually and physically. They dry out the land around them and dead birds litter the ground.
Not just the wind farms, but the acres of solar panels that any bird flying over them get cooked and fall out of the sky. These two ‘environmentally’ safe ? kill more birds than those accidentally by business.
This is a New York Times report. I can’t believe anything that organization says!
Good point. I would like to hear it directly from the Whit House.
I do have to agree with ‘speedles’ comment, regarding the Windmills, and all the birds, including eagles. However, on the other hand I think you can ‘kill 2 birds with a stone.’
These companies should ‘attempt’ to ‘stay away from areas where there are many nests found.’ If I owned the company I would have a couple of employees go out to the area as ‘scouts’ specifically looking for nests, and if/when they see them, to take photos of them. I would look for a ‘low instance’.
That’s just my opinion, though. But I would most definitely do that, unless these people really don’t give a damn.
I am a Trump fan and will vote for him as I did in 2016 but I totally object to relieving restriction on harming migratory birds. Do not stop protecting migratory birds!!! Birds matter to people; it is not only $$ that is important. Already vast numbeers of birds have been destroyed by wind mills and other man made hindrances to birds. I believe the EPA oversteps its boundaries many times but not in this case. Protect birds!!!!
In Illinois there is a major flyaway for geese and ducks. You’d be shocked to see how many geese and ducks get caught up in wind farms. Sad that the companies that built them didn’t consider the consequences of their actions.
Protect Migratory birds.
Will never happen more windmills are built – more (Hyndred of thousans a year more ) will die across north America
Any idiot could foresee that windmills with huge blades used for energy production would wind up killing migratory birds. It was the environmental groups who pushed strongly for wind power. Now that they see what their own wishes have wrought, the environmentalists want to blame the power companies who never wanted wind power in the first place. The only reasonable solution is to require the environmental groups to safeguard the birds, make THEM properly dispose of all accidentally killed birds, and fine THEM for every bird killed.