USDA PLANS TO POISON MILLIONS OF BIRDS

At least in part due to widespread public outcry over its plan to poison millions of "blackbirds" in the northern plains, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture has agreed to submit its plan to the environmental impact study process.

The federal agency’s plan to poison millions of birds in order to protect sunflower seed crops in the Dakotas was met with tremendous public opposition when the plan made news a few weeks ago.

According to the National Audubon Society, the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, which made the proposal, is responsible for the poisoning of several million blackbirds between 1994 and 1999. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service managed to block USDA poisoning plans for 2000 and 2001.

Blackbirds, primarily Red-winged Blackbirds, are said to be responsible for damaging an estimated one to two percent the sunflower seed crop, says the USDA. That crop is valued at $300 million per year. However, the agency has not shown that the poisonings did anything to reduce damage, and nobody knows if the birds poisoned are the birds that actually do the damage. And, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has said USDA has ignored its own research showing the poisonings are ineffective in reducing crop damage.

Audubon says that 69 other species besides Red-winged Blackbirds have been "observed around the poisoned plots." Some of those species are rare or endangered, and poison does not seek out one particular species to kill.

EXEMPT THE BIRD POISONERS?

Remember that plan from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture to poison millions of Red-winged Blackbirds in North and South Dakota? Faced with being thwarted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Migratory Bird Act, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Endangered Species Act, poison proponents are smiling today.

That’s because the U.S. Senate is discussing of an amendment to the so-called farm bill that "seeks to exempt the Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) - from all Migratory Bird Treaty Act laws and all National Environmental Policy Act laws. APHIS, formerly known as Animal Damage Control, shoos away or kills birds and wildlife that are considered by some to be pests" according to the National Audubon Society.

"This amendment, known as the Hutchinson-Lincoln amendment for its two sponsors, Arkansas Senators Tim Hutchinson and Blanche Lincoln, will enable APHIS to carry out programs that could ultimately allow the killing of birds including Robins, hawks, songbirds, and ducks because all oversight of their activities are eliminated. Audubon opposes this measure because of the terrible precedent this amendment would set - and we're working to see that the Senate does not attach this amendment to the farm bill - and we need your help! The Amendment will be up for a vote on Monday afternoon, so we're counting on you to contact your two U.S. Senators and urge them to oppose the Hutchinson-Lincoln APHIS amendment to the farm bill! You can reach your Senators directly by calling (202) 224-3121 and asking for them by name," says Audubon’s advisory.

Indiana Senator Richard Lugar is a key player in the farm bill.