Associated Press BILLINGS, Mont. The Trump administration on Tuesday finalized changes that weaken the government’s enforcement powers under a century-old law protecting most American wild bird species, brushing aside warnings that billions of birds could die as a result. Federal wildlife officials have acknowledged the move could result in more deaths of birds such as those that land in oil pits or collide with power lines or other structures. A U.S. District Court judge in August had blocked the administration’s prior attempt to change how the Migratory Bird Treaty Act is enforced. But urged on by industry groups, the Trump administration has remained adamant that the act has been wielded inappropriately for decades, to penalize companies and other entities that kill birds accidentally.
To embed, copy and paste the code into your website or blog:
One thing is certain about 2021 – environmental and natural resources-related litigation against the federal government will continue apace and it will impact a range of private projects that require federal authorization of some sort or that rely on public natural resources and lands. What is not certain is how the Biden Administration may alter its approach to such defensive litigation to reflect its priorities. That being said, we have identified four areas for potential litigation changes to watch for in 2021.
Potential Change #1: Reversing the De-Regulatory Efforts of the Trump Administration.
POLITICO
Get the Morning Energy newsletter
Email
Sign Up
By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or updates from POLITICO and you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service. You can unsubscribe at any time and you can contact us here. This sign-up form is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Presented by
With help from Ben Lefebvre, Annie Snider, Zack Colman and Eric Wolff
Editor’s Note: Morning Energy is a free version of POLITICO Pro Energy s morning newsletter, which is delivered to our subscribers each morning at 6 a.m. The POLITICO Pro platform combines the news you need with tools you can use to take action on the day’s biggest stories. Act on the news with POLITICO Pro.