Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Nevada Bureaucrats Kill Humming Birds

From the LVRJ: Wildlife officials' decision to shut down a Las Vegas woman's hummingbird rescue service was maddening and wrong.
But it wasn't the least bit surprising. In fact, it's an important reminder of the unintended consequences of encouraging the government to step into any cause. Eventually, bureaucrats overreach.
Marion Brady's love of hummingbirds was first featured in the Review-Journal on July 7. The 20-year crime scene investigator for the North Las Vegas Fire Department started taking in sick and injured birds about four years ago, rehabilitating them and returning them to the wild. The work was as rewarding it was tedious - sometimes she hand-fed baby hummingbirds every 20 minutes.
Ms. Brady kept busy through referrals from the Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary, which held a permit that she believed legitimized her work. She went so far as to carry a copy of the permit with her and have people who brought birds to her fill out a form, which was given to the sanctuary. Ms. Brady says she has saved more than 30 birds through this year.
However, Nevada Department of Wildlife officials saw that Review-Journal feature earlier this month, and they immediately moved to close her home-based bird hospital. In Saturday's Review-Journal, department spokesman Doug Nielsen said individuals must have permits from both the state and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to hold and rehabilitate migratory birds - even if the birds are not endangered or threatened - to ensure people "are following accepted protocols and procedures" and "aren't just removing wildlife from the wild on a whim." It turns out that Gilcrease's permit wouldn't cover Ms. Brady's work, even if she kept the birds at the sanctuary instead of her home. http://www.lvrj.com/opinion/protecting-birds-by-denying-aid-officials-shut-down-hummingbird-rescuer-162835896.html
Common sense would be that Ms. Brady be given a temporary permit and then let her apply for a regular permit.  That way the Humming birds can still receive treatment and the bureaucrats would be happy that Brady will get a permit.
But I guess that would be too easy, wouldn't it?

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