This alert is no longer active, but here for reference. Animals still need your help.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has issued a call for comments on potential changes that would make it easier for companies to get permits authorizing the “incidental take” — or accidental killing — of bald and golden eagles. Please join us in urging the USFWS to ensure eagles are prioritized and companies continue innovating new ways to operate that are safe for animals and the environment.

If these changes go into effect, eagles will die as a result, and there will be less pressure on companies to find innovations that would lead to fewer eagle and bird deaths.

The reason permits are required for “incidental take” is that laws exist that protect eagles in certain ways, including The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, The Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and the Lacey Act. While each are slightly different, and some cover more than eagles, the general effect is that the laws prohibit the harm and possession of bald and golden eagles and their parts, nests, or eggs, and make it generally illegal to molest or harm them without petitioning for an exemption. Bald and golden eagles, the two species under consideration for this potential change, face significant challenges that warrant mobilizing against any changes that would reduce protections.

The permitting process is essential to ensure eagles aren't disturbed and killed unnecessarily and that all steps are taken to reduce threats, but it must ensure that their protection is prioritized over potentially harmful activities and should especially focus on driving innovation in the development of renewable energy to protect eagles and other wild animals.

The job of the USFWS, as dictated by its mission, as well as by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, is to conserve and protect wild animals and their habitats.

This alert is no longer active, but here for reference. Animals still need your help.