By Kitty Block and Sara Amundson

January 8, 2021 0 Comments

https://blog.humanesociety.org/2021/01/in-its-final-days-trump-administration-launches-lame-duck-attack-on-migratory-birds.html?credit=blog_em_010821_id11919&utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=humanenation

Birds already face unprecedented challenges to their survival because of climate change and other manmade threats like habitat loss, building and vehicle collisions, power lines, cell towers and other communications infrastructure development.Photo by Emie Decker/iStock.com

The Trump administration, in its final days, is attempting to undo crucial, century-old protections for migratory birds as a handout to the construction and oil and gas industries.

Anew rule published this weekby the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would exempt industries from being prosecuted or penalized under the 100-year-old Migratory Bird Treaty Act if their actions, such as failure to cover tar pits or the spraying of banned pesticides, result in bird deaths.

If the deaths were unintentional, the FWS says in the rule, there will be no enforcement. “This rule simply reaffirms the original meaning and intent of the…