Hi all, I hope this is an acceptable posting. If not, I apologize, but I hope this is of interest to the members of this group. This article was in yesterday's Oregonian newspaper but is about proposed Federal legislation. Steve Bill would make killing raptors a felony *Birds of prey - Rep. DeFazio calls for bigger fines and prison time to help protect species * Sunday, November 18, 2007MICHAEL MILSTEIN *The Oregonian Staff* Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., outraged by the misdemeanor fines imposed on Portland-area men who tried to kill protected hawks and other raptors, has introduced a bill to make their crime a felony that would carry tougher fines and prison time. The men were leaders of a local group that raised an unusual and expensive breed of pigeon. They admitted trying to trap and kill wild raptors that bothered their birds. One told an undercover agent how he trapped hawks and suffocated them in garbage bags. Citing public anger over the crimes, prosecutors sought fines of $10,000 against two of the men. But U.S. District Judge Ancer Haggerty sentenced each to pay $4,000 -- a $2,000 fine and another $2,000 to a fund at the Oregon Zoo that helps pay for wildlife projects. <http://ads.oregonlive.com/RealMedia/ads/click_nx.ads/www.oregonlive.com/xml/story/lc/lcen/@StoryAd?x> DeFazio said the fines were far too light, especially considering that Oregon takes animal abuse crimes seriously. "I was absolutely outraged about what these people were doing, and they're just getting a slap on the wrist," DeFazio said. In a letter to colleagues seeking support for his bill, DeFazio said Congress should take action against the killing of raptors just as it moved to restrict dog fighting after a high-profile case involving National Football League quarterback Michael Vick. Crimes involving the killing of birds of prey are violations of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act but are classified as misdemeanors and result in only small citations, DeFazio wrote. "Like the recent horrific practice of dog fighting and the subsequent congressional response, it is time that Congress act to give the federal government expanded authority to prosecute and punish violations of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which protects raptors and birds of prey like the peregrine falcon." He described the Oregon cases and estimates by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that roller pigeon hobbyists in Oregon and California joined in the illegal killing of up to 3,000 birds of prey a year. "Even the most egregious violations have resulting in nothing more than slaps on the wrist, a fact in evidence in the October sentencing of the roller pigeon club members," DeFazio wrote. Roller pigeons are known for a genetic trait that causes them to suddenly stop flying and tumble through the air before righting themselves. Wildlife experts say that often attracts raptors such as hawks and falcons looking for an easy meal. DeFazio's bill, House Resolution 4093, provides penalties of as much as a $50,000 fine and a year in jail for the intentional killing of migratory birds and as much as a $25,000 fine and six months in jail for other violations of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Prosecutors would have discretion to prosecute violations as misdemeanors. Oregon's three other Democrats in the House -- Earl Blumenauer, Darlene Hooley and David Wu -- and Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., have signed onto DeFazio's bill as co-sponsors. DeFazio said he expects more co-sponsors. "I think there should be a bipartisan sense of outrage over this. I don't know who would apologize for this kind of behavior." The next step for the bill will be a hearing. Michael Milstein: 503-294-7689; michaelmilstein@ news.oregonian.com. For environment news, go to http:// blog.oregonlive.com/pdxgreen ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]