Chairman Simpson Hosts Roundtable on Preserving Birds of Prey Worldwide

WASHINGTON-Today, Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson-Chairman of the House Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee-held a briefing on preserving birds of prey worldwide. Following the roundtable, members of Congress and staff were invited to stay for a demonstration featuring several live birds, including a Silvery Cheeked Hornbill, Eurasian Eagle Owl, White-naped Raven, King Vulture, African Fish Eagle, and more.

The bipartisan event featured Chris Parish, President and CEO of The Peregrine Fund, based in Boise, Idaho.

"Idaho has taken the lead in species recovery, particularly in preserving birds of prey, with many thanks to The Peregrine Fund. It has changed the paradigm of endangered species recovery and has continuously built on its successful track record of effective endangered species management. As a longtime advocate for preserving these beautiful birds, I was thrilled a fellow Idahoan, Chris Parish, could join for this informative and exciting briefing, and for numerous of my colleagues to see the beauty of exotic birds," said Rep. Simpson.

Below are excerpts from Rep. Simpson's prepared remarks:

The Peregrine Fund is a leader in birds of prey conservation and serves as a global expert on birds and their conservation. Located in Idaho's capital, The Peregrine Fund does exceptional work to support raptor populations and ensure their ecosystems thrive. Today's roundtable is an opportunity to discuss the work of The Peregrine Fund.

The federal investments we propose as appropriators matter to our communities. Some of the most successful and popular conservation programs funded in our Interior bill bring stakeholders together to support voluntary efforts across public and private lands.

Programs like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's North American Wetlands Conservation Act grants and Joint Ventures program work as public-private partnerships to improve wetlands and working lands alike to conserve bird habitats. We also fund Recovery Challenge grants that have been used to support the recovery and reintroduction of raptors like those we will see today.

Below are excerpts from Chris Parish's prepared remarks:

The Peregrine Fund is dedicated to the often unseen, hard work of bringing listed species back from the brink of extinction, so that, in the language of this important Federal law, the protections of the ESA are no longer necessary.

For more than five decades, The Peregrine Fund has worked in partnership to conserve birds of prey worldwide.

The Peregrine Fund supports the Fish and Wildlife and the National Marine Fisheries Services in their efforts to propose regulatory changes that seek to make the delisting of species under the ESA. We believe it is time for ESA changes that are faithful to the statute and efficient.

Reforms should reward the conservation contributions of States, interested organizations, and the regulated community - especially where those commitments have succeeded in ensuring a species is no longer threatened or endangered under the Act. This is how the ESA was envisioned to function rather than what it has become: a never-decreasing repository of species destined to remain permanently listed. To that end, the Peregrine Fund recently filed comments supporting the Services to make delisting a more functional and workable process.