Bipartisan bill calls for permits to protect migratory birds

By Michael Doyle | 10/15/2024 01:52 PM EDT

The legislation comes as the Biden administration has stalled in regulating the accidental death and injury of birds.

A worker at the California Academy of Sciences holds a tray containing Bachman's warblers.

A worker at the California Academy of Sciences holds a tray containing Bachman's warblers. The bird, once found in the southeastern U.S., was declared extinct last year due to loss of habitat. Haven Daley/AP

Lawmakers are pushing legislation aimed at protecting migratory birds as the Biden administration’s efforts on the matter have been slow to leave the nest.

In a nudge to the Fish and Wildlife Service, Reps. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) last week introduced a bill, H.R. 9971, that would direct the agency to develop a permit program to regulate the accidental killing or injury of birds covered by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Such accidents, known as “incidental take,” occur when birds meet wind turbines or power lines. Huffman and Fitzpatrick say the permit system would “minimize regulatory burdens and give clarity” to commercial entities that otherwise could be penalized for unintentional mishaps.

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“As the world grapples with a biodiversity crisis, now is the time to ensure strong, clear and longstanding protections for migratory bird species,” Huffman said in a statement.

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