Category Archives: Federal Policy

Action You Can Take This Week: Don’t Let States Be Penalized for Opposing Offshore Drilling

Posted on June 18, 2018 by Christina W

US Representatives are considering a bill that would fine states that oppose oil and gas drilling off their coasts. The draft proposal would allow a state to reject offshore drilling in up to half of the leased areas off its coast, but withholding any additional areas beyond that from proposed sales would result in a fee. The fee would be calculated as at least 10% of the estimated government revenue that would have been generated from drilling activity for the site. The proposal would also create financial incentives for states that support expanded drilling. Learn more.

Earlier this year, the US Department of the Interior announced plans to expand offshore oil and gas leasing to encompass approximately 90% of US coastlines, which would include the coast off of New England. Many groups, including Mass Audubon and the Massachusetts’ Congressional Delegation, oppose the proposed expansion, which would have severe impacts on fisheries, wildlife habitat, and underwater geological resources.

Humpback whale habitat could be impacted by an expansion in offshore drilling. Photo credit: NOAA

If it advances, this new legislation could pressure some states into moving forward with expanding offshore drilling. The proposal is currently being considered by the House Natural Resources Committee. You can help by speaking out against it!

Congresswoman Niki Tsongas is a member of the House Natural Resources Committee, so if you live in her district, ask her to oppose the bill during her Committee review. Otherwise, you can ask your US Representative to oppose the bill now so it does not advance beyond the Committee. Let them know states shouldn’t be penalized for protecting their coasts from offshore drilling, especially at a time when there is so much opportunity for development of clean, renewable energy.

Update: Migratory Birds at Risk Once Again

Posted on May 1, 2018 by Christina W

Update 5/31/2018:

A group of national conservation organizations are suing the Department of Interior over changes to the law.

Original post:

This year marks the 100th anniversary of enactment of the US Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), one of America’s first environmental statutes. Despite its longstanding, effective protections for birds, the MBTA is currently under attack by the Trump Administration. Mass Audubon and our federal leaders are speaking out against those attempts to weaken the law.

The MBTA makes it illegal to hunt, trap, kill, or possess nearly 1,000 avian species. When birds die through activities like energy extraction, the MBTA is one way to hold industry responsible, and gives companies a strong incentive to avoid such impacts in the first place.

Snowy owls are among the hundreds of bird species protected by the MBTA.  Photo credit: US Fish & Wildlife Service

In December 2017, the US Department of the Interior (DOI) made a decision to cripple the MBTA. In a legal memorandum, the Department stated that “incidental,” as opposed to “intentional,” bird deaths resulting from energy industry activities will no longer result in prosecution. This definition would effectively remove accountability over such deaths – for example, birds killed in oil spills. This decision comes at a time when migratory birds are already stressed by habitat loss and climate change.

Mass Audubon helped get the MBTA passed in Congress, and we’re speaking up again on its behalf today. See what Mass Audubon President Gary Clayton and Advocacy Director Jack Clarke had to say about “The White House War on Birds” in their Op Ed running in regional newspapers statewide.

Mass Audubon also reached out to the DOI in opposition to this change. You can too.

American goldfinch are also protected by the MBTA. Photo credit: USFWS

Also weighing in are Senator Ed Markey and his colleagues, who wrote to DOI Secretary Ryan Zinke requesting that he fully implement the MBTA and continue holding industries accountable for preventable bird deaths. These Senators are joined by many of their House colleagues, including members of the Massachusetts delegation, who also wrote to Secretary Zinke defending the Act. We encouraged those Massachusetts members who hadn’t yet signed on to add their names.

It’s going to take strong collaboration and continued outreach to ensure that our country’s most important bird protection law itself remains protected.

Saving the Land and Water Conservation Fund

Posted on April 17, 2018 by Christina W

Update 2/4/19: Public lands legislation that includes permanent reauthorization for LWCF could come up for a vote in the US Senate as early as this week. Mass Audubon is reaching out to our Senators, and you can help.

Please contact Senators Markey and Warren and urge them to support S.47, and to oppose any weakening amendments that could remove LWCF funding or other land protections from the bill.

Let them know that the Land and Water Conservation Fund has been expired for four months now, at a total cost of $300M lost to conservation and recreation projects across the country, including Massachusetts. Now that the government has been reopened, the Senate should act as soon as possible to #SaveLWCF.

The Cape Cod National Seashore, protected in part thanks to LWCF funding, is visited by over 4 million people annually. Photo credit: Karen Regan, National Park Service

Update 11/26/18: Unfortunately, time ran out for Congress to renew the LWCF before it expired in September. There is still hope for the program to be renewed to avoid the additional loss of funding for our open spaces, but Congress needs to hear from us. Add your voice.

Original post: Massachusetts is fortunate to have spectacular seashores, wildlife refuges, and national scenic trails that contribute to a $16.2 billion outdoor recreation economy. Many of these places have been protected thanks in part to the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), America’s most important program to conserve irreplaceable lands and improve outdoor recreation opportunities throughout the nation.

For 52 years, the LWCF has protected national parks and open spaces in every corner of the United States. In Massachusetts, LWCF has invested more than $223 million to protect this sites like Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, the New England National Scenic Trail, and Cape Cod National Seashore (see the Spotlight on Massachusetts: LWCF fact sheet).

Without action by Congress, the LWCF’s authorization will expire on September 30, 2018.

As a member of the LWCF Coalition, this week we are spreading the #SaveLWCF message to save our natural and historic treasures in Massachusetts. If the LWCF disappears, so too will opportunities for future protection of the places we love.

Learn how you can help #SaveLWCF on the Coalition website.

Speak up for Marine Monuments

Posted on April 2, 2018 by Christina W

The Northeast Canyons and Seamounts national monument, one of our country’s most special places, remains at risk of cuts to its protections. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has recommended that President Trump alter the way several national monuments are managed, including the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts off the New England coast – the only marine monument in the Atlantic Ocean. The recommendation to reduce the size or protections of ten monuments nationwide was made despite a public comment period during which, according to Secretary Zinke’s report, “comments received were overwhelmingly in favor of maintaining existing monuments.”

The mytilus seamount, part of the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, is home to a diverse array of corals. Photo credit: NOAA

Please remind our US Senators and Representatives to voice their opposition to this decision. Ask them to tell President Trump that cutting protections for the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts is unacceptable. Changes in the monument’s protections could put endangered whales, deep-sea corals, and other rare marine life at risk.

These proposed changes also come at a time when our offshore areas are already threatened by a recent federal proposal to expand offshore oil and gas drilling.

 

Meeting with Congressman Moulton

Posted on March 5, 2018 by Christina W

It’s been a busy few weeks of meeting with our congressional delegation! In the latest of our series of meetings, Mass Audubon and our partners met last week with Congressman Seth Moulton at his district office in Salem.

We discussed issues like the proposed Hydro-Quebec project, and related reservoir flooding and river diversions. We also explained our concerns about the federal legislation that would alter the management of a portion of Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge. The bill, filed by Massachusetts Congressman William Keating on behalf of the town of Chatham, is a misguided attempt to clarify a disagreement over management of the Refuge’s western boundary, but if passed would create a dangerous precedent for future legislation by others to give away, strip or weaken federal control over protected lands. We have instead been encouraging a negotiated, collaborative solution to be arrived at in Chatham Town Hall.

For these reasons, we encouraged Congressman Moulton to oppose the federal boundary change if it comes to a vote.

A scene from Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge in Chatham

A Conversation with Congressman Capuano

Posted on February 23, 2018 by Christina W

Continuing our series of meetings with the Massachusetts congressional delegation, Mass Audubon and our partners met with Congressman Michael Capuano at his district office in Cambridge.

These meetings have been part of Mass Audubon’s strategy for ramping up environmental advocacy at the federal level through collaboration with partner groups and conversations with our government officials.

Pictured from L-R: Mass Audubon honorary board member Teri Henderson, Mass Audubon president Gary Clayton, Congressman Michael Capuano, Mass Audubon advocacy director Jack Clarke, Conservation Law Foundation president Brad Campbell and the Trust for Public Land’s Kevin Essington

During our meeting with Congressman Capuano, we focused on issues like funding for the Environmental Protection Agency in the federal budget, the expansion of oil and gas drilling off the New England coast, and protecting our national marine monuments.

He also shared his admiration for the work of Mass Audubon’s Boston Nature Center, located in his district. The Boston Nature Center is a community-based urban sanctuary that offers education programs and public trails just outside of downtown.

Our conversation was a productive one, and hearing from Congressman Capuano gave us additional insight into the national political scene. We’ll be keeping up the momentum with a meeting with Congressman Seth Moulton next week.

Mass Audubon Visits DC

Posted on February 12, 2018 by Christina W

Last week, Mass Audubon traveled to Capitol Hill to discuss federal conservation priorities during the first-ever Independent Audubon Societies’ lobby day. Our Legislative Director Karen Heymann met with congressional staff for Congressman Moulton, Congressman Neal, Congressman Kennedy and Congressman McGovern and Senator Warren.

Mass Audubon’s Legislative Director Karen Heymann, third from right, with representatives from other independent Audubons around the country

Independent Audubon staff from 9 regions of the country participated in the lobby day. Pressing federal priorities for our coalition include passage of the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, permanent authorization and funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, defense of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, opposition to offshore oil and gas drilling, and funding for environmental agencies.

The event was a great opportunity not only to speak with decision makers on Capitol Hill, but also to learn about the work of other Audubon networks across the US. Mass Audubon represented the largest membership base of all the groups.

In addition to speaking with Massachusetts legislators, Mass Audubon also met as part of a group to discuss national environmental issues with other states. Pictured here from left to right: Karen Heymann; Lisa Alexander, Executive Director, Audubon Naturalist Society; Patrick Comins, Executive Director, The Connecticut Audubon Society; and Jordan Ebert, Legislative Aide to Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kansas). Photo credit: Audubon Naturalist Society

 

Congressman Kennedy Comes to Oak Knoll

Posted on February 5, 2018 by Christina W

Mass Audubon and several of our environmental partner groups met recently with Congressman Joe Kennedy, III at our Oak Knoll Wildlife Sanctuary in Attleboro, where we discussed the role of activism in Washington in these challenging times.

Representing Mass Audubon at the meeting were president Gary Clayton, advocacy director Jack Clarke, honorary board member and volunteer Teri Henderson, and our Oak Knoll team. The group provided some background for the Congressman on our federal environmental priorities, like protecting our coasts from offshore oil and gas drilling.

Mass Audubon’s Jack Clarke with Congressman Kennedy

Congressman Kennedy reminded the group that while there is much activity on Capitol Hill these days that gives cause for alarm, it has also sparked a resurgence in public engagement in the political process. He is seeing more people getting involved through activism, especially locally. This kind of engagement is critical for a healthy democracy.

He also noted that it’s not enough to just speak out against what’s happening in Washington; we must actively work to create a viable alternative. We’ll be keeping up that proactive approach as we continue engaging our leaders on making the best environmental policy decisions they can, both at the federal and local levels.

Supporting Bird-safe Buildings

Posted on January 29, 2018 by Christina W

Update 2/11/19: The Bird-Safe Buildings Act was refiled for the 2019 session – learn how you can help support it.

Original post: 

When we hear about the impacts of development on birds, we probably think about habitat loss: cutting down trees to make room for new structures, or filling in wetlands. But did you know that the buildings themselves can also pose a serious risk to our feathered friends?

In the U.S., window strikes are estimated to kill up to 1 billion birds annually, and window strikes are one of the leading causes of death for migratory birds. During the day, the problem occurs when birds see their natural habitat mirrored in windows and fly directly into the glass, causing injury, and, in 50 % or more of the cases, death.  At night, especially during spring and fall migration, lights in and around buildings can confuse birds, leading to collisions or exhaustion as the birds circle the structure.

This imprint of a bird was left on a window after a collision. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons user StuartB4.

To reduce this threat, several cities in North America, including Boston, Chicago, and Toronto, have taken steps to reduce light from tall buildings during migratory bird season. In Boston’s case, this effort comes through the Lights Out Boston! program, on which we partnered with Mayor Tom Menino’s administration. We are hoping to revive our partnership with the City to expand the program. Though programs like Lights Out Boston! are an important step in protecting birds, they are voluntary.

As such, we’ve endorsed the Federal Bird-safe Buildings Act of 2017 (S.1920/H.R.2542, filed by Senator Booker [D-NJ] and Representative Quigley [D-IL]). This proposed legislation would require all new federal renovations or construction to incorporate bird-safe characteristics like reduced glass surfaces and shielding of outdoor lights. Under this bill, any glass that is used would have to be fritted, screened, shaded, or UV-reflective, qualities proven to reduce bird collisions. Other conditions include regularly surveying for stunned or dead birds.

Application of anti-bird strike film is one option for reducing collisions. Photo credit: US Fish & Wildlife Service

We reached out to our congressional delegation to request their support for this bill. You can help too, by asking your own US representative and senators for their support.

More locally, we submitted comments to the City of Boston on the planned renovation project at One Post Office Square. Boston is located along a major migratory bird pathway, and these migrants utilize small urban parks, including Post Office Square, as ‘stopover’ or resting habitat during migration. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s eBird Project, 91 bird species have been observed at the site. A glass-clad building in such close proximity to a well-known bird habitat presents a clear hazard to birds. On top of this, it is important to avoid large, uninterrupted areas of reflective glass in close proximity to landscape features, since birds may be attracted to the plantings and unable to distinguish the glass reflections. We encouraged the Boston Planning and Development Agency to consider building façade and landscaping designs that minimize bird collision hazards.

In the future, we hope to see bird safety become more commonplace in development, through both regulations and incentives, like the LEED credit awarded for Bird Collision Deterrence.  The choice should be clear – but the buildings shouldn’t.

Sensitive Offshore Areas at Risk

Posted on January 16, 2018 by Christina W

The US Department of the Interior (DOI) has released a draft plan to expand offshore oil and gas leasing to encompass around 90% of US coastlines. This means that the coast off of New England could now be opened up to drilling.

The decision came when DOI released its Notice of Availability of the 2019-2024 Draft Proposed Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program, which includes plans for two oil and gas lease sales in in the North Atlantic.

(Update: Mass Audubon attended the Boston public listening session on the expansion plan, and submitted comments to the Bureau of Energy Management voicing our opposition. The Massachusetts congressional delegation and Governor Baker have also written to DOI Secretary Zinke urging him to exclude the North Atlantic from the expansion.)

The exploration, development, and production of oil and gas off the Massachusetts Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) would have severe impacts on fisheries, wildlife habitat, and geological resources. Massachusetts and all of New England depend on a thriving coastal and ocean economy – which brings in $17.5 billion annually to the region – and that success in turn depends on healthy coastal and ocean ecosystems.

Endangered humpback whales are among the many species whose habitat could be impacted by an expansion in offshore drilling. Photo credit: Bill Thompson, USFWS

In response to this decision, Senator Ed Markey and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced the New England Coastal Protection Act, which would bar offshore drilling along the New England coast and protect our ocean resources. Senator Elizabeth Warren and all of Massachusetts’ congressional delegation have co-sponsored the bill.

Mass Audubon agrees that a permanent moratorium is needed on oil and gas exploration and production off Massachusetts. It would be a grave mistake to place our valuable natural resources at risk, especially when so much progress and economic growth is occurring through energy efficiency and development of clean, renewable energy.

This infographic gives a sense of the damage that offshore drilling could cause our region. To make matters worse, this graphic doesn’t account for currents or other variables. For instance, the combination of the Labrador Current coming down from the north and Gulf Stream coming from the south creates a clockwise gyre on George’s Bank. If there was a spill there, oil or gas would likely become entrapped in the gyre, repeating the damage to fish and other marine resources over and over. Photo credit: Center for American Progress

There are four areas in particular that we are especially concerned could be impacted:

Nearshore areas within 100 miles of the Massachusetts coast – the 1,500-mile coastline of the Bay State constitutes an environmentally sensitive and fragile marine environment that contributes substantially to the tourism and recreational economies of Massachusetts.

Georges Bank – this shallow, sediment-covered underwater plateau was once one of the world’s most productive fishing grounds for Atlantic cod, haddock, and flounder. Much of the Bank is currently closed to fishing in order to allow the area to recover from bottom-trawl fishing, and any disruption caused by drilling will severely disrupt long-term restoration efforts and jeopardize future sustainability.

Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary –  located between Cape Ann and Cape Cod, this area provides feeding and nursery grounds for more than a dozen cetacean species including the endangered humpback, northern right, and fin whales; supports foraging activity by diverse seabird species, including loons, shearwaters, alcids, and terns; Leatherback and Kemp’s ridley sea turtles (both endangered species) use the area for feeding, and seasonal fish and invertebrate populations include bluefin tuna, herring, cod, lobster, and scallops.

Atlantic cod in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. Photo credit: Matthew Lawrence, NOAA

Northeast Canyons and Seamounts National Marine Monument – 4,913 square miles of rich and diverse marine ecosystem, which includes three underwater canyons deeper than the Grand Canyon, and four underwater mountains (extinct volcanoes) known as “seamounts” that are biodiversity hotspots and home to many rare and endangered species.  These include thousand-year-old deep sea corals found nowhere else on Earth and other rare fish and invertebrates.

The proposed expansion would also be inconsistent with the Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan, which Mass Audubon helped develop. In addition to the the actions of Governor Baker and the Massachusetts congressional delegation opposing the expansion, Attorney General Healey has also said she opposes opening up any new ocean areas to oil and gas leasing.

The final expansion plan is expected to be released by December 2018, which will be followed by its own 90-day public comment period. We’ll be standing alongside our state leaders and conservation partners to keep offshore drilling away from Massachusetts shores and beyond.