Protect Endangered Species
The strongest federal safeguard against the extinction of bird species in the United States is the Endangered Species Act. Enacted in 1973, the ESA has helped save some of America's most critically imperiled birds and wildlife, including species like the Bald Eagle, the Peregrine Falcon, the Gray Wolf, the Grizzly Bear, and the Whooping Crane.

Despite the ESA's success, the currrent Bush Administration has been among the least aggressive in protecting endangered species, proposing fewer new listings than either President George W. Bush or President Bill Clinton. To expand support for the law, Audubon is supporting HR 1422, a bill that would give more than $2 billion in new financial incentives over the next five years to private landowners to protect and improve habitat for endangered species on their property.

Reduce Global Warming
Climate change alters animal behavior, population sizes, species distributions, plant and animal communities, and ecosystem functions and stability. Audubon supports enactment of comprehensive legislation to cap carbon emissions, and more immediately is calling on Congress to pass a renewable electricity standard that requires 15 percent of the nation's electricity come from clean sources like wind and solar by 2020. Learn more and take action.

Support Wetlands
Wetlands provide vital habitat for birds. The Clean Water Act is landmark environmental protection legislation passed in 1972 that applies to all surface water bodies in the U.S., including wetlands, and is credited with cleaning up nearly one-third of our nation's lakes and rivers since its enactment. However, two recent Supreme Court rulings have eroded these environmental protections. The Clean Water Restoration Act of 2007 would restore the traditional scope of protection intended by Congress under the Clean Water Act for wetlands and other waters.

Fund Ecosystem Restoration
Recently passed by Congress in a rare veto override vote, the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 (WRDA) authorizes ecosystem restoration projects that increase habitat for bird species near some of our most valuable ecosystems, such as the Everglades, Mississippi River, coastal Louisiana, and the Great Lakes. Audubon is calling on Congress to take the critical next step and provide funding for these critical priorities.

Ensure Biofuels are Eco-Friendly
While biofuels have the potential to help reduce our dependence on dirty fossil fuels, a rush to ethanol could result in deforestation and destruction of bird-friendly grasslands to make way for corn fields. Rather than removing land from conservation for corn production, Audubon is advocating increased production of cellulosic ethanol within the conservation programs of the Farm Bill. Cellulosic ethanol is produced from tall grasses and other materials that require less intensive use of the land. Additionally, Audubon is seeking environmental safeguards for ethanol production from corn. These safeguards should include requirements to minimize nutrient inputs and pesticides, decrease erosion, and leave some ground coverage (stalks) after harvest. Producers who move acreage from row crops to crops that produce cellulosic ethanol should be rewarded.

Improve Conservation Programs in the Farm Bill
As Congress rewrites farm policy, it will be important to ensure that the conservation programs it contains protect bird habitat. Among the most important conservation programs are the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) that protects ecologically important wetlands, the Grasslands Reserve Program (GRP) that protects grasslands from development and is critical for the health of grassland bird populations, and the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) that encourages private landowners to set aside land as habitat. Learn more about the Farm Bill.