Date: 12/11/25 5:27 am From: Doris Gertler via groups.io <dee.gertler...> Subject: Re: [ALbirds] BIRD CONSERVATION: Trio of major US environmental threats
The links make it so easy to submit a comment and take a stand. Thank you
for drawing attention to this urgent matter!
On Wed, Dec 10, 2025 at 11:37 AM Greg D. Jackson via groups.io <g_d_jackson=
<bellsouth.net...> wrote:
> AL Birders:
>
>
>
> The holiday season began with what may be the darkest week in history for
> U.S. environmental protection with significant pertinence to bird
> populations. Within a few days span, major changes were officially proposed
> to massively expand offshore oil and gas leasing, limit the Endangered
> Species Act, and weaken the Clean Water Act. I’m asking that everyone
> consider submitting brief opinions to the appropriate agencies during the
> limited window for comment. Even though in reality the changes may be
> implemented regardless of public opinion and scientific knowledge, it is
> useful in the inevitable legal (and possible later legislative) actions to
> know public sentiment.
>
>
>
> After each section I offer a link that allows an easy method to register
> an official comment on that topic with the appropriate agency. These are
> through the Earthjustice site, so be aware that group pulls no punches in
> its opinions. (A little of the factual verbiage below is borrowed from that
> site or those of other conservation groups.) I’m suggesting this route not
> to incite a political debate, but due to the simplicity of posting your
> opinions with the agencies through this portal – I used it myself for each
> and it was very simple. You can also try to search for the official portals
> of the agencies and find a way to comment directly. I changed the text of
> my submission, replacing much of the suggested verbiage to make a few
> simple statements. Whatever route you take please exercise your rights to
> express opinions to the agencies on these important matters.
>
>
>
>
>
> *ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT:*
>
>
>
> The ESA (1973) has been one of the most important and effective tools we
> have had to pull endangered and threatened species from the brink. This
> landmark law has so far helped to preserve 99% of listed species, an
> amazing rate considering how low some of these populations had slipped. It
> was designed to use scientific data to assess species for listing, make
> plans for recovery, and implement these until the populations were no
> longer in significant danger.
>
>
>
> The multifaceted new proposals would for the first time introduce
> “economic considerations” into the assessments. Since economic factors are
> often the driving force behind the population decreases in the first place,
> allowing these to weigh heavily on the decision could allow the science to
> be ignored for the sake of profit. Projected loss of revenue of a project
> could sway a decision not to protect a species. This violates the spirit of
> the act and the letter of the law.
>
>
>
> The proposals would also include depriving newly listed threatened animal
> and plant species from automatically receiving protections from killing,
> trapping, and other forms of prohibited “take.” Species now proposed for
> listing could be left unprotected even after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
> Service finalizes the listings.
>
>
>
> An additional portion of the new proposals would narrow the definition of
> “critical habitat” to exclude currently unoccupied but historic habitat.
> Historic habitat is often vital for recovery of imperiled species.
>
>
>
> It would also loosen compliance measures for federal agencies to make it
> easier to greenlight destructive actions, like logging or drilling, that
> put a protected species in harm's way. Another change would be to alter the
> criteria for designating critical habitat to make it easier to exclude
> areas from protections by giving more weight to industry claims of economic
> impact.
>
>
>
> Link to make comments to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service:
>
>
>
>
> https://earthjustice.org/action/the-law-that-saves-species-needs-saving?ms=email&sourceid=1048457&utm_source=crm&utm_medium=email&utm_term=action&utm_campaign=2511_Action_ESA_FWS&utm_content=HTMLTakeActionButton2&contactdata=DdCtKfWiDAe8QGsJX2n%2f3ADa+EHElV5Mx2%2fhdBLqvainHOEzVrBEIpyF9%2fjd8jfvo7Zt3uLYFMST%2fDxhjT8%2fhtuewCT6uOqZie696c81S+iVKtvHQHQSHS4WetLqgGtsh5sgdZqZEpwyVYqEWuMF+vq3BHhIgGO%2fmOAYUQjbg0Ueh04kKFrPgoXg1Wq22B9V84NhdxHlHWdCcIXnf%2fQiaUACXYN286pvaJv5hApLBtI%3d&emci=42dcfd5e-abcf-f011-8195-000d3a1d58aa&emdi=d9dee2b4-1ed1-f011-8195-000d3a1d58aa&ceid=3716036 >
>
>
>
>
> *CLEAN WATER ACT*
>
>
>
> The Clean Water Act (1972) has been a bulwark for protecting American
> health as well as aquatic ecologies for over five decades. There has been
> some fluctuation over the years as to what constitutes waters covered under
> the act; these are officially considered the “waters of the United States”
> (WOTUS). In 2023 a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court narrowed that
> definition. The proposal by the EPA and the U.S. Department of the Army
> (and included Corps of Engineers) would not only incorporate that
> definition but restrict it further.
>
>
>
> What’s at stake is federal protection for an enormous number of small
> wetlands throughout the country (estimated at about 80% of our wetlands).
> This includes temporary (“ephemeral”) wetlands which are very common but,
> of course, have a significant relationship with larger downstream waterways
> as well as groundwater. A recent study in the journal *Science*
> (Brinkerhoff et al. 2024) showed that ephemeral streams were the source of
> 55% of the water in regional river systems (a significant drinking water
> source). Pollution and development of these smaller wetlands and waterways
> will not only affect local ecology but ultimately alter downstream waters.
>
>
>
> Link to make comments to the Environmental Protection Agency:
>
>
>
>
> https://earthjustice.org/brief/2025/trumps-epa-just-tried-to-gut-the-protections-that-keep-our-drinking-water-clean?ms=email&sourceid=1048523&utm_source=crm&utm_medium=email&utm_term=action&utm_campaign=2512_Cultiv_WOTUSBrief&utm_content=HTMLTakeActionButton1&contactdata=9nIS7s%2fuY2fAyvAq+Gjbax9EZy2NVz0rpGfqdCgrJ9Xv2zd+NZbIa7kWdC9rqCLSTt2qO4pEGYbk+qSttbGpVRDTX3lnfjjQ+VpUDyZKBBmM65r+6O40ojEFnyvyliqk5wvZYGxdF9mogyAC87e541iFcZUz7cD7JkqTnCzHVvmg4zLVLxT3fe9ahAP+C%2fFb1mryu3yXAEhv4TKetH+CtDu40ISPm95kiFCwpMhkHOQ%3d&emci=b710a77d-1dd2-f011-8195-000d3a1d58aa&emdi=7b680d2a-72d4-f011-8195-000d3a1d58aa&ceid=3716036 >
>
>
>
>
> *EXPANSION OF OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS LEASING*
>
>
>
> The third leg of this cluster of proposals involves opening nearly 1.3
> billion (yes, with a “b”) acres of U.S. public waters to new oil and gas
> drilling. This involves the offshore areas of California, Alaska, and the
> eastern Gulf of Mexico, despite adamant objections by many state and local
> governments. While drilling off Alaska and California are relatively
> unlikely in the near future even with this change, it is more likely to
> result in new oil drilling in the Gulf. Anyone who has been in this area
> for a while will have no problem recalling the horrors of Deepwater Horizon
> and its effects on the people and environment of the northern Gulf.
>
>
>
> Supposedly these new leases are because of an “energy emergency,” despite
> the fact that the U.S. is already producing not only more oil than ever,
> but more than any nation in history. While we still import some crude oil,
> we have a significant net export surplus of petroleum. There is no
> emergency basis for these leases, but the risk from drilling in these areas
> is substantial.
>
>
>
> Link to make comments to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management:
>
>
>
>
> https://earthjustice.org/action/stop-trumps-plan-to-expand-oil-drilling-in-our-oceans?ms=email&sourceid=1048390&utm_source=crm&utm_medium=email&utm_term=action&utm_campaign=2511_Action_OffshorePlan_DOI&utm_content=HTMLTakeActionButton1&contactdata=9M5bS9XnD1In1RPTZSb+7Z5tqStb2fDBm5ij6z1zmpB5QRHt2dnnlcFYzuosAPaxQSmRpAVPo5Ri183SV4iLgyIH13MTk8yoSgM+oGFsZo%2fHR1XI5CSlnbe7EJ4gk6HgGR%2fZOTKk9u97IcOt5aTKyK+CxRtIlE1HXV9nc+jJFAUOOFjmOwxiSyOJstfS71YHdcVNHof1IARZQzRLQYeJSsId7uN+0ipi+CFgKSl4B8U%3d&emci=198797bc-a4d0-f011-8195-000d3a1d58aa&emdi=4892f168-add0-f011-8195-000d3a1d58aa&ceid=3716036 >
>
>
>
>
> Thank you for your help with these major threats to birds and their
> environment. Please share this with whomever you feel may be interested, as
> the clock is ticking on the public comment period. We need as many comments
> registered as possible on these issues.
>
>
>
> Greg
>
>
>
>
>
> Greg D. Jackson
>
> Birmingham, AL
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