The U.S. Census Complex in Suitland, Maryland, is a state-of-the-art workplace that won the General Services Adminstration's Design Excellence Award and has achieved a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design silver rating. (Caption and photo from the U.S. Census Bureau.) Wavy planks cover some of the windows, creating a pattern that will probably deter almost all bird collisions into that glass, according to Christine Sheppherd, Bird Collisions Campaign Manager at the ABC.
In prelude to y last Saturday, Congressman (D-IL) showed some bird-support: On April 15, 2011, he introduced the Federal of 2011, requiring that avian-friendly design features be applied to various public buildings. To justify the legislation, Congressman Quigley鈥檚 bill highlights various irreplaceable roles that birds play in Americans鈥 lives, from economy boosters鈥攂irdwatchers contribute $36 billion annually鈥攖o natural pest control.
鈥淏ird death from collisions with man-made structures is one of the most serious sources of avian mortality,鈥 states the bill, and the trend is rising (see last week鈥檚 to learn how glass is a major building-material culprit). Specifically, passing the Act would require that public buildings constructed, altered, or acquired by the Administrator of General Services must incorporate, to the maximum extent possible, bird-safe building materials and design elements. Where feasible, existing buildings would also have to work in bird-safe features, as well as address how their lighting鈥攊nside and out鈥攁ffects native avian species.
Congressman Quigley's bill advises buildings to draw on several detailed documents for design inspiration: the and New 鈥檚 鈥淏ird-Safe Building Guidelines鈥; the city of Toronto鈥檚 鈥溾; and the City of Chicago鈥檚 鈥淏ird-Safe Building Design Guide for New Construction and Renovation鈥 (you can download the document from the Internet). The last is hardly surprising鈥攁s commissioner of Illinois鈥檚 Cook County 2008, Congressman Quigley passed similar legislation to help protect the more than 300 species of birds that course along the Mississippi flyway, according to a Cook County press release. (For more on bird-friendly design features, click .)
So what kind of chance does the Act stand as passing? 鈥淯nfortunately, one of the things that鈥檚 a barrier currently is that this bill has been referred to the Transportation Infrastructure Committee,鈥 says Ann Law, Deputy Director of Conservation Advocacy for the , and an item that they鈥檙e currently dealing with is funding for the transportation reauthorization bill, which has expired.* In other words, the committee's focus is likely more riveted on that issue than Congressman Quigley鈥檚 legislation. The good news is that you can do your part to encourage progress: 鈥淐ontact [your] representatives and ask them to sign onto the bill (HR 1643) as a co-sponsor,鈥 advises Law. You can also show your support by using the American Bird Conservancy鈥檚 form .
*Facts in this sentence were ammended at 5:14 p.m.