Recently the American House of Representatives has voice voted to drop funding for the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. [b]What is this act?[/b] This program makes it "illegal to take, possess, import, export, transport, barter or offer for sale, purchase or barter any migratory bird, or the parts, nests, or eggs of bird except under the terms of a valid permit[url=http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/regulationspolicies/mbta/mbtintro.html]...[/url] " Essentially what this does is protects many birds (especially endangered species) from being poached, hunted and killed for collectors or any individual who wants to make a profit from selling rare or desirable bird parts. The passenger pigeons extinction was a clear victim of the lack of protection towards birds favorable to poaching and over hunting. [b]Why is the funding being dropped?[/b] Initially the house thought it necessary to do so in order to protect oil companies that are heavily fined when their procedures accidentally kill birds under protection however they've decided to take it a step ahead and eliminate it all together. [b]What does this mean and what can we do?[/b] Endangered species will be targets for kill. Even birds such as the bald eagle, the icon for America itself. Spreading the word and making your voices heard can help bring awareness. Not many know of the migratory bird act let alone the dangers of it not being in place.