Hopefully you’ve subscribed to Audubon Florida’s The Advocate emails regarding Florida’s Legislative session. Currently, SB 80 is still moving forward to protect Florida State Parks from development, with the final vote slated for April 29; the House companion bill has already passed. Voting on HB 1175 regarding wetlands mitigation has been postponed. Audubon Florida’s Action Alert remains open to provide information and wording to use to contact your Florida state representatives individually in response to this bill.

Of concern on the national level are a series of changes to and removals of wildlife protections that would impact species in every ecosystem and habitat. Please become informed about the impact of these changes and make your voice heard through your Congressional representatives in Washington, D.C.

Among the most sweeping directive is for numerous federal agencies to issue “sunset rules” for a number of critical and long-standing wildlife protections including The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, The Endangered Species Act of 1973, The Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, and Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976, to name a few. This order directs the agencies to develop plans by this fall to remove protections provided in these regulations which would take effect within 5 years.

Additionally, an opinion has been rendered to weaken rules regarding “incidental take” of birds under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The American Bird Conservancy offers more information here. Lastly, a proposal to redefine the term “harm” as applied in the Endangered Species Act would allow for habitat loss to be removed from protection under the Act. The Center for Biological Diversity provides a summary of the proposed change and the potential impacts.

Please contact your State representatives in Florida as well as your Congressional representatives in Washington, D.C. It’s easy to do:

• call or email your representatives;
• provide your name and the state in which you reside;
• encourage your representatives to become informed about the impact these proposals and actions will have on wildlife and the environment;
• state your opinion and thank them for taking action in response to your concerns.

Find your Florida State representatives at https://www.stateofflorida.com/state-legislators/

Find your U.S. Congress representatives at https://www.congress.gov/members