The Interior Department has reversed course yet again to narrow federal protections for more than 1,100 species of migratory birds.
Citing President Donald Trump’s call to boost U.S. energy development, Interior’s Office of the Solicitor on Friday reimposed an interpretation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act that extends the law’s reach only to intentional acts.
The new, one-page opinion issued by acting Solicitor Gregory Zerzan means, for instance, that utilities and energy companies won’t be held liable for birds unintentionally killed by transmission lines, wind turbines or the like.
“President Trump issued Executive Order 141 54, titled ‘Unleashing American Energy,’ directing the heads of each federal agency to implement plans to suspend, revise, or rescind all agency actions identified as unduly burdensome,” Zerzan noted, adding that Interior Secretary Doug Burgum then “directed relevant Department officials to suspend, revise, or rescind documents that conflict with the President’s direction.”
