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For Immediate Release
Congress Approves Bush Assault on Migratory Birds, but Attack on Endangered Species Act Rejected
WASHINGTON -- The 2003 Defense Authorization bill approved by the House includes a provision requested by the Bush administration that seeks to exempt the Department of Defense from the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, one of our nation’s oldest and most important wildlife conservation laws. The Senate is expected to act later today.
"The Bush administration hasn’t yet encountered an environmental law it likes. This administration continues to use every opportunity at its disposal to undermine our nation’s landmark environmental safeguards," said Rodger Schlickeisen, president of Defenders of Wildlife. "This latest assault undermines protection for fragile migratory birds, which are some of our most vulnerable wildlife species."
A strong administration push to include a damaging exemption for Defense Department lands from provisions of the Endangered Species Act was rejected, upholding protections for imperiled species.
That’s thanks to strong efforts by Reps. Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.), ranking member of the House Resources Committee; and John Dingell (D-Mich.), ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee; and Sens. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee; and Jim Jeffords (I-Vt.), chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.
The Endangered Species Act exemption had originally been included in the House version of the bill but was removed from the final conference report. The House bill would have undermined critical habitat protection for more than 300 imperiled species on Defense Department lands.
Tireless efforts by these same champions to remove the Migratory Bird Treaty Act exemption, however, were unsuccessful.
The act provides protection for more than 850 species of migratory birds, many of which are already declining. The exemption in the Defense Authorization bill potentially undermines treaties the law implements with four other nations, giving the Defense Department broad authority to kill migratory birds and destroy their habitat with little or no oversight. The Defense Department would be allowed to kill birds like songbirds, seabirds, hawks, and owls, and destroy their nests during the course of bombing, weapons testing and other military readiness activities on the 25 million acres of land it controls.
Not only is the exemption extremely destructive to migratory birds - it is unnecessary. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has said it can give the Defense Department permits to allow military training to continue while still protecting migratory birds. And the United States. has fought World Wars I and II, and wars in Korea, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf with this law in place.
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Defenders of Wildlife is a leading non-profit conservation organization recognized as one of the nation's most progressive advocates for wildlife and its habitat. With more than 440,000 members and supporters Defenders of Wildlife is an effective leader on endangered species issues. To stay current on hot topics in wildlife conservation, please visit www.defenders.org
