Jones Beach Legal Settlement Provides Safety for Endangered Birds

Piping Plovers that nest annually at Jones Beach State Park in New York will no longer face the risk of predation from feral cat colonies inside the Park’s boundaries. The plover, a small shorebird, is federally protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) as a Threatened species in the Atlantic Coast region, and is listed as Endangered under New York law.

A lawsuit filed by American Bird Conservancy alleged a violation of the ESA based on a concern that New York State Parks was not doing enough to ensure that feral cats do not harm the protected Piping Plovers and their chicks. Under a settlement agreement and court order, the cats currently living in colonies at Jones Beach will be removed from the park by the end of the year and State Parks has also agreed that any new cats found in the park will be trapped and removed so new cat colonies do not exist at the park in the future. The agreement means that the plovers and their chicks will no longer face the possibility of predation from cats.

“We are delighted to reach this agreement,” said Mike Parr, President of American Bird Conservancy. “By removing the cat colonies, New York State Parks has ensured a much safer environment for the plovers to help them nest successfully in the future.”

Court Orders the EPA to Finalize a Ban on Chlorpyrifos

In a win for public health, a federal court has ordered the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to finalize its long-awaited ban on the chemical chlorpyrifos—a toxic pesticide known to cause learning disabilities in children—from being used on produce sold in the United States. The decision is the result of a lawsuit filed by NRDC as part of a coalition of labor and health organizations, represented by Earthjustice. Congratulations to all!

Speak Out for Birds and the Laws that Protect Them

There are several months remaining in the 115^th Congress with lots of unfinished business affecting birds,including pending harmful provisions in both the Farm Bill and the Interior Appropriations bill. Meanwhile, the administration is proposing new regulations affecting the National Environmental Policy Act. American Bird Conservancy and partners are fighting all of these harmful changes. Please follow the links below to speak out on behalf of birds and the environment and then forward these alerts to your friends, family, and activist networks.

And our voices are making a difference: harmful ESA riders were dropped from the Defense bill, the Federal Bird-Safe Buildings Act is making progress in the House and Senate, and funding has been increased for recovering endangered birds in Hawaii. Now is a great time to make your voice heard!

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Sign On Letter and Action Alert

 The White House Council on Environmental Quality has announced plans to weaken one of our country’s bedrock environmental laws, the National Environmental Policy Act.  Please consider having your organization sign on to a national letter by using this google sign-on form by Friday, August 17^th at noon (name, title, organization, email):  https://goo.gl/BaWRDv

TAKE ACTION: Please send a comment letter in support of a strong environment

Farm Bill at Risk due to Harmful Riders

 

Senate Farm Bill increases the Regional Conservation Partnership Program and Conservation Reserve Program and is relatively free of harmful policy changes. But the House Farm Bill contains numerous exemptions to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and other provisions harmful to science-based management of public lands.  TAKE ACTION: Please ask your Senators and Representative to oppose any version of the Farm Bill that contains legislative riders harmful to wildlife and our environment! With your help, the Farm Bill can continue to be an important conservation tool for conserving America’s birds.