Ducks

These two articles indicate why many feel that government regulations sometimes are misguided. Seven oil companies operating in western North Dakota face federal charges of killing migratory birds that allegedly died when they landed in oilfield pits and wastewater disposal facilities. The charges under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act cite the losses of 28 ducks and other birds in oil waste pits between May 6 and June 20. Federal laws require pits to be bird-proofed with fences, screens and nets. In a bid to give alternative energy sources a boost, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has quietly granted a California wind energy farm a permit to kill a limited number of endangered bald and golden eagles that get sliced up in its giant turbines. But last week’s free pass is sparking anger from wildlife advocates and from free market advocates who ask why they don’t qualify for the same dispensation. Keep in mind that duck hunters kill 15 million ducks each year and because of conservation efforts by groups like Duck Unlimited the duck population is larger than ever.