Too Much Protection The Migratory Bird Treaty Act ( Mbta )

Too much protection: There are over 1000 species of birds found in the United States that are federally protected [1]. Those that are endangered or threatened need and deserve our special help and steps must be taken to protect them from population declines and extinction. However, hundreds of species--not considered to be in danger-- are still protected by federal law in a way that can prevent economic growth and the expansion of renewable energy in the United States. The 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) and related legislation make it illegal (without a waiver from the USFWS) to pursue, hunt, or take any native migratory bird [2]. Enforcement is often impractical but can still sometimes a barrier to the development of more renewable energy sources such as wind and solar energy. It is time for congress to revisit and reform this act to keep up with the issues that our country is facing in this, the 21st century. Every country in the world has limited resources available to accomplish its goals. Ours is no exception. Currently the MBTA applies to almost every species of bird native to the United Sates which makes most species of birds in the US protected by law—regardless of their current conservation status [2]. A complete enforcement of this law is currently not undertaken because it would demand more resources than can possibly be dedicated to it. Some people have referred to the MBTA as legislation that sometimes lacks teeth. That is not to say that peopleShow MoreRelatedThe Current Issues Involving Wind Farms and Wildlife1920 Words   |  8 Pagesrenewable energy in the last several years. Wind farms, based off of energy production facts, are pivotal in our society, to the continued push to reduce fossil fuel usage and greenhouse gas emissions. To the untrained eye, they seem as though they are too good to be true; a cheaper form of energy that also emits less pollution than tra ditional forms of energy production (find a source for this) sounds perfect, right? However, there has been growing tension between the wind energy industry and environmental