For Immediate Release: August 27, 2002

Contact: , American Bird Conservancy, 202/234-7181 ext. 207
John Talberth, Forest Conservation Council (505) 986-1163

Environmental Groups File Petition Demanding Halt to All Construction of Communication Towers in Gulf Coast  - Say Threat to Birds Must be Addressed

Three conservation organizations yesterday filed a formal petition with the Federal Communications Commission ("FCC") demanding that the FCC immediately cease issuance of licenses for new communication towers along the Gulf Coast. The petitioners, including American Bird Conservancy (Washington, D.C.), Forest Conservation Council (Santa Fe, NM), and Friends of the Earth (Washington D.C.), say no more towers should be constructed until completion of an environmental impact statement, addressing the adverse effects of communications towers in the Gulf Coast region on migratory birds.

The Gulf Coast, defined here as a 100-mile wide belt along the southern Gulf Coast from Port Isabel, Texas to Tampa Bay, Florida, is a recognized critical stopover region for neotropical migratory birds. Drawn to the lights atop the towers, particularly at night and during low cloud, the birds circle in confusion, dying by the thousand in collisions with the tower, its guy wires and related structures, each other, or even the ground. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that as many as 40 million birds are killed each year in these collisions nationwide.

The petition cites violations of the National Environmental Policy Act ("NEPA"), Endangered Species Act ("ESA"), and Migratory Bird Treaty Act ("MBTA"). The groups are seeking an order from FCC mandating preparation of environmental reviews on 5,797 towers that were illegally authorized using a loophole in environmental regulations. Tower companies have been allowed to build structures harmful to migratory birds with no environmental documentation or public oversight. The petition calls for the preparation of a comprehensive environmental impact statement ("EIS") on FCC's overall licensing program in the Gulf Coast region, as well as proper implementation of public participation procedures. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has already recognized the need for a comprehensive EIS on the FCC's tower licensing program and has requested such a document directly from the agency. 

"The vast proliferation of towers in the coastal forests, wetlands, farmlands, and barrier islands across the Gulf Coast Region is killing tens of thousands of migratory birds every spring and fall," said John Talberth, the Director of Conservation for the Forest Conservation Council. "Today's notice is the first step in a broader campaign to reform the haphazard and illegal way the FCC and the communications industry do business, and to bring the public into the decision-making process."

Gerald Winegrad, Vice President for Policy at American Bird Conservancy said, "The FCC and the tower industry must address the environmental impact of these towers both individually and on a cumulative basis. Builders of roads, pipelines, and other structures are held accountable for the environmental consequences of their actions; builders of towers should be no different."

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has produced guidelines for mitigating the impacts of cell towers on migratory birds, yet none of the structures covered by the petition has been constructed in a manner consistent with these measures.

A comprehensive report by American Bird Conservancy analyzing all available tower kill data, identified 230 bird species killed at towers, mostly neotropical migratory songbirds. This is nearly 40% of all U.S. bird species. Gulf Coast region tower kill records in the literature are numerous. With nearly 60,000 lit towers registered nationwide and an estimated 50,000 additional towers to be constructed in the next decade, the impacts on imperiled species will continue to be significant.

For a copy of the petition, visit Forest Conservation Council's website: www.forestconservation.org.
For more information and to view American Bird Conservancy's comprehensive tower report, visit ABC's web site at www.abcbirds.org.

Petition for Expedited Rulemaking and Other Relief on behalf of American Bird Conservancy, Defenders of Wildlife and National Audubon Society

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American Bird Conservancy is a non-profit organization concerned with the conservation of wild birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. The fundamental role of ABC is to build coalitions of conservation groups, scientists, and members of the public, to tackle key bird priorities using the best resources available. ABC has offices in Washington D.C. and The Plains, Virginia, and staff in Colorado, Montana, and Oregon.