Don't let the energy industry off the hook for "accidentally" killing birds

Dear Secretary Zinke,

I join with 17 distinguished former national wildlife officials, who served Presidents Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush, and Obama, in asking you to reject the "solicitor's opinion" issued by the Interior Department's new deputy solicitor, in which he announced that he would not seek to prosecute energy companies who "accidentally", but avoidably, kill millions of birds each year. We encourage you to return to the long-standing practice of following the Migratory Bird Treaty Act's definition of "take" to include prosecution of bird deaths that are the result of negligence.