he Silver Lake Wildlife Sanctuary reminds us that during the Trump Administration, many wildlife protective laws were weakened through legislative changes, notably the Migratory
Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) which protects all migratory birds. The Biden Administration has
already moved to begin revoking these changes and have also put forth the “America the
Beautiful” vision which includes important goals for expanding migratory corridors and
investing in habitat restoration. Members of Congress have also recently introduced The
Bird-Safe Building Act, and the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act. However, these bills
have not yet become law.
According to the Sanctuary, the Silver Lake Reservoirs and their surrounding habitat
provide a resting stopover for thousands of birds who migrate along the Pacific Flyway, an
astonishing 4,000 miles from northern Alaska down the West Coast to the southern tip of South America and back again in the autumn. In May – the height of the spring migration –
Silver Lake’s night skies are filled with thousands of birds flying in a steady stream high
above us, invisible to the naked eye. They need all the protection we can give them.
“Now is the time to join with others who care about wildlife and birds,” said Freda Shen,
Silver Lake Wildlife Sanctuary. “Under President Biden, we have the chance to create
long-term positive change. We have an Administration that will lead and support us. This is
our chance to gain long-term protections.”