In early April, Maine Audubon’s Advocacy and Outreach Manager, Nick Lund, traveled to Washington to talk birds. A guest of the American Bird Conservancy, Nick joined state-based advocates from around the country to encourage Congressional leaders to support a variety of wildlife bills.
Nick’s group included advocates from Connecticut Audubon and the Missouri River Bird Observatory, and their overall focus was requesting funding for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Pesticide Licensing programs; funding for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Endangered Species Act Consultations Divisions; and support for the Migratory Bird Protection Act.
Many additional local issues were discussed in meetings with Senator Susan Collins and her staff, as well as lead staff from the offices of Rep. Jared Golden and Rep. Chellie Pingree. Additionally, Nick and the team met with several members of the Connecticut Congressional delegation, as well as Agriculture Committee staffers from both the House and Senate.
Meetings, without exception, were productive and cordial. American Bird Conservancy staff, especially our group leader Hardy Kern, had an amazing fluency in the issues at hand and the political realities at play. However, a mood of uncertainty and gloom was pervasive in the hallways of Congressional office buildings. Congress has spent years delegating its own authority to the Executive Branch, which is working with unprecedented rapidity to undermine all kinds of environmental protections. The margins in Congress, at least for now, make pushing back against the Administration or, alternatively, passing proactive environmental legislation, unlikely. These are undoubtedly difficult times.
The trip was not without optimism, though it was found after-hours. On Wednesday, April 2, the American Bird Conservancy and the National Wildlife Federation co-hosted a reception at a local pub for folks working on bird conservation issues. Staff were on hand from the host organizations, the fly-in groups from across the country, the National Audubon Society, House and Senate offices, and more, and the conversation was lively. Bouncing from conversation to conversation was energizing: this group was talking about Lesser Prairie-chicken conservation; this one was working to protect Marbled Murrelets, etc. Each individual in the room was dedicated to working on behalf of birds, who can’t advocate for themselves. Despite the mood in Congress the room was alive with strategy, conviviality, and hope.
Despite the challenging atmosphere in D.C., the opportunity to connect Maine Audubon’s sometimes lonely work to the nationwide network of conservation experts was uplifting. We will continue to advocate on behalf of Main’s wildlife and habitat in all the ways that we can, and we will be sure to let you know how you can help.
