US to resume enforcement of unlawful bird deaths by industry

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — The Biden administration is drafting rules to govern the killing of wild birds by industry and will resume enforcement actions against companies responsible for deaths that could have been prevented. Wednesday’s move by the U.S. Interior Department revives longstanding criminal enforcement of bird deaths that had ended under President Donald Trump. It comes as North American bird numbers have plummeted drastically in recent decades. Federal officials said they would use a common sense approach and not prosecute every bird death. But the announcement got pushback from the oil industry, which has been subject to some of the most high-profile prosecutions under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.