Amid Global Pandemic, Federal Government Pushes Ahead on Fossil Fuel Leasing and Bird-Protection Rollbacks

Amid Global Pandemic, Federal Government Pushes Ahead on Fossil Fuel Leasing and Bird-Protection Rollbacks

There are new signs each day that the COVID-19 pandemic is fundamentally altering public life in America. Many schools will be closed for the rest of the academic year. Several states have postponed presidential primaries. State and federal courts have put trials on hold. But the coronavirus crisis is not stopping the U.S. Department of […]

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In Virginia, a Race to Ready New Nesting Sites for 20,000 Returning Seabirds

In Virginia, a Race to Ready New Nesting Sites for 20,000 Returning Seabirds

Every spring since the 1980s, tens of thousands of seabirds have made their way from their South American wintering grounds to Virginia’s South Island to nest. Once there, raucous masses of Gull-billed Terns, Royal Terns, Common Terns, Black Skimmers, Laughing Gulls, and others combine to create the state’s largest breeding colony. But this April, when […]

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Trump Administration Moves to Relax Rules Against Killing Birds

Trump Administration Moves to Relax Rules Against Killing Birds

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Thursday moved to drop the threat of punishment to oil and gas companies, construction crews and other organizations that kill birds “incidentally,” arguing that businesses that accidentally kill birds ought to be able to operate without fear of prosecution. Conservation groups said the proposed new regulation from the United […]

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A Trump Policy ‘Clarification’ All but Ends Punishment for Bird Deaths

A Trump Policy ‘Clarification’ All but Ends Punishment for Bird Deaths

WASHINGTON — As the state of Virginia prepared for a major bridge and tunnel expansion in the tidewaters of the Chesapeake Bay last year, engineers understood that the nesting grounds of 25,000 gulls, black skimmers, royal terns and other seabirds were about to be plowed under. To compensate, they considered developing an artificial island as […]

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POLL: Should cormorants be culled to protect local fisheries?

POLL: Should cormorants be culled to protect local fisheries?

The House Natural Resources Committee met in Alpena, Michigan for a field hearing on double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) management. Cormorants are migratory birds and are therefore regulated under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. However, recreational and commercial fishermen around the Great Lakes say growing populations have negatively impacted local fisheries. Previously, managers were allowed to […]

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