Well over a hundred thousand birds and other wildlife have been brought into Liberty Wildlife for assistance since we opened our doors.  Over the years, we have worked valiantly through our robust educational programming to instill a love of nature in anyone who will listen.

Today—right now— we urgently ask you to contact the people who represent you in Congress about the current effort to emasculate conservation laws like the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA)—laws that have successfully saved birds and their habitat from harmful corporate activities since 1918.  For the most part, Americans recognize the importance of birds from an aesthetic point of view, their beauty and their benefits.  It is easy to see the conservation importance of birds.  There is no denying the interconnectedness of birds with the rest of nature, and don’t forget we are a part of nature.

Here’s what is happening.  The Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) of 1918 was passed to combat the overhunting and poaching of birds for among other things, their feathers used in the millenary industry…yep hats with feathers were quite the fashion statement then. Of course, there were other reasons bird numbers were decimated, but the hat industry was particularly greedy.

With the passage of the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) over 800 species have been protected saving billions of birds.  However, since the 1970’s Science reports that North America alone has lost about 3 billion birds, and Audubon reports that 2/3 of our North American birds will be greatly challenged by the effects of changes in our climate.

Now the current administration, during this already challenging time for birds, is pushing to emasculate the MBTA allowing for industrial bad actors to avoid being held responsible for the “incidental take” of birds.  Incidental take can result from careless practices including oil spills, waste pits, mining pools, chemical usages and other things that result in the death of billions of birds in a year.  This leaves illegal  hunting as the only activity in the MBTA teeth.  This was clearly not the only intention of the Act.

In the past, fines to those industries for careless behavior allowed for habitat restoration and repair of damaged birds.  With the removal of responsibility for these “incidental” takes of birds, the funding will not be there to make right the damage.

Efforts are underway to pass legislation called the Migratory Bird Protection Act (MBPA) that allows the USFWS to create a permitting process to allow for incidental take with the purpose being to encourage businesses to create internally good management practices that are designed to prevent bird fatalities.   The purpose of the act is to counter the rollback of the MBTA reinforcing the critical protections of birds.

This is a time for you to act.  It is a time to reach out to your representatives in Congress to support the passage of the Migratory Bird Protection Act.  This is the time to be heard…loud and clear.

It is our responsibility to protect the things that we value.  Over 100,000 people have come to Liberty Wildlife with animals they wanted protected.  Speak out now before it is too late.

We have a big voice if we act and speak together. We must encourage industry to be proactive in lessening the impact on the loss of bird life that we so treasure and need.  Do it for the birds, for your children and their children.  Do it because it is the right thing to do.

H.R. 5552 Migratory Bird Protection Act 2020