Date: 6/24/25 7:43 pm From: Paul L. Pearson via groups.io <Propearson...> Subject: [NEBirds] (No bird sighting) BBS discussion-$0 funding proposed for USGS Ecosystems
From the recent posts, it is clear that many people in this group enjoy both running and discussing Breeding Bird Survey routes. This post is intended to be informational and NOT a discussion-starter. (especially a partisan political one that would not be appropriate for this forum). I hope that our shared love of birds and other natural communities should be enough of a reason to bring up this subject respectfully.
As it stands today, the federal budget proposal (aka “Big Beautiful Bill”) currently being considered would be catastrophic to our natural communities as well as the protection and scientific understanding of them. Future discussion of BBS routes, bird banding, and many species of birds may be limited to nothing but grief and nostalgia if this comes to pass.
To wit, the US Geological Survey’s Bird Banding Lab and Breeding Bird Surveys would almost certainly be eliminated as the USGS Ecosystems program would be $0 funded. As a recent American Birding Association podcast (episode 09-23) pointed out, not only does it put the future of these programs at grave risk, but Our shared love of birds and other natural communities should be enough of a reason to bring up this subjec all of the data from past Breeding Bird Surveys and banding would be at risk of being deleted.
Further, the proposed US Fish & Wildlife Service budget is $0 for all endangered species line items, including migratory bird programs. Proposed changes to the Endangered Species Act would remove protection of HABITAT for endangered species, interpreting the language “taking of” in the ESA to be literal. Simply put, you couldn’t kill an endangered species, but you could destroy 100% of the habitat where a species exists without violating the ESA. I think it is obvious what will happen to endangered species if the very habitats required for them to exist (likely the main reason they ARE endangered) are no longer protected and allowed to be sold, degraded, developed, logged, mined, polluted, or otherwise compromised.
Many of the agencies that fund or conduct scientific research or environmental programs (e.g. National Science Foundation, USGS, National Park Services, Dept of Ag, USAID, et al.) have already or will also be drastically cut, so research/testing on birds will also be severely impacted or eliminated outright as these various government entities are gutted.
If you are opposed to these changes, I encourage you to take appropriate action to make your voice…and future bird songs…heard.
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Paul L. Pearson, PhD
President-Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union
Omaha, NE
