In 2017, the U.S. Department of the Interior severely undermined one of our nation’s oldest and strongest bird conservation laws — the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The MBTA has long provided the oil and gas industry, wind energy development companies and power transmission line operators with an incentive to work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and conservation groups to minimize bird deaths. However, now, companies are no longer responsible for reducing bird deaths, putting already-declining populations of our nation’s songbirds and other migratory birds at risk.

For more information about the impacts of the changes and how states are picking up bird protection, see this report (PDF).

Spoiler alert! Illinois is part of the lawsuit against the federal government to oppose the changes.

To protect and strengthen the MBTA, please ask your members of Congress to support the Migratory Bird Protection Act.

Sandhill Crane photo by Jerry Goldner