Important Work Being Done in Washington

This summer, Doug and Nancy Chang were invited by National Audubon to Washington, DC, to meet with members of Congress to discuss policy issues important to birds. The national board set up meetings for its members to meet with their respective elected officials regarding two timely issues: The Migratory Bird Treaty Act and The Land and Water Conservation Fund.

The current administration is seeking to change how the MBTA will be enforced. It will specifically decline to prosecute businesses for incidental bird deaths, leaving little incentive for businesses to develop and adopt practices that would avoid such deaths. National Audubon believes that the proposed changes to the Act, which turned 100 years old this year, will be extremely harmful to many species of birds.

 The current administration is seeking to change how the MBTA will be enforced.
It will specifically decline to prosecute businesses for incidental bird deaths, leaving little incentive for businesses to develop and adopt practices that would avoid such deaths. National Audubon believes that the proposed changes to the Act, which turned 100 years old this year, will be extremely harmful to many
species of birds.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund, currently up for its annual renewal, receives its revenue from fees paid to the federal government from offshore oil and gas drilling and not taxes. The funds are used for our parks, from national to local levels. They improve the quality of life for many and create jobs in the areas of outdoor recreation, conservation and historic preservation. Las Vegas has benefited from this fund.

Doug and Nancy were able to meet with Senators Catherine Cortez-Masto and Dean Heller to explain to them the importance of enforcing the MBTA in its current form and fully funding the LWCA. Both Senators were receptive to hear from them. They also met with staff from the office of Representative Dina Titus who was not available and pled the case for both issues.

​Doug and Nancy were grateful for the opportunity to engage with our Senators and a Representative to encourage them to be conservation minded in their decision making. They encourage all Red Rock Audubon members to contact their Congressional representatives on these and other issues that affect birds and the environment.