This will turn up on other bird-related blogs, but deserves wide attention.
U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) has introduced H.R. 2062, the Migratory Bird Treaty Penalty and Enforcement Act, which would provide a much-needed upgrade to one of the nation's most important conservation laws. The bill would give federal prosecutors the option of pursuing felony-level penalties for the intentional killing of raptors, and would finally provide a meaningful deterrent of prison time and hefty fines.
Last year, an undercover operation by the USFWS targeting pigeon fanciers that lured, trapped, and killed raptors gained national attention (see this powerful article by Ted Williams in Audubon Magazine and this Birder's World blog post for more details).
This bill should provide some teeth to current laws and hopefully curb this outrageous behavior. The current co-sponsors are:
Rep Berman, Howard L. [CA-28]
Rep Blumenauer, Earl [OR-3]
Rep Farr, Sam [CA-17]
Rep Grijalva, Raul M. [AZ-7]
Rep Hare, Phil [IL-17]
Rep Hirono, Mazie K. [HI-2]
Rep Kind, Ron [WI-3]
Rep Lee, Barbara [CA-9]
Rep McCollum, Betty [MN-4]
Rep Michaud, Michael H. [ME-2]
Rep Miller, George [CA-7]
Rep Sestak, Joe [PA-7]
Rep Waxman, Henry A. [CA-30]
Rep Wexler, Robert [FL-19]
Rep Wu, David [OR-1]
Write to your representatives and ask them to co-sponsor and support H.R.2062. You can find them here and use the webforms on their websites.
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