Forest and Stream, March 23, 1901
Birds and Lighthouses.
Infrastructure -- Public - Government : Life-saving serviceNatural resources -- Conservation - GameSea -- Market hunting
A FEW years ago an official order was promulgated by the Lighthouse Board calling for the assistance of lighthouse keepers in the work of bird protection, and recently an order to similar effect was sent out by the General Superintendent of the U. S. Life Saving Service as follows:
CONCERNING THE UNLAWFUL KILLING OF BIRDS.
Treasury Department. -- Office of the General Superintendent U. S. Life Saving Service, Washington, D. C., Feb. 26. -- To Officers and Crews of the United States Life Saving Service: The attention of all officers and crews of this service is called to Section 3 of an Act of Congress, approved May 25, 1900, as follows:
Sec. 3. That it shall be unlawful for any person or persons to deliver to any common carrier, or for any common carrier to transport from one State or Territory to another State or Territory, or from the District of Columbia or Alaska to any State or Territory, or from any State or Territory to the District of Columbia or Alaska, any foreign animals or birds the importation of which is prohibited, or the dead bodies or parts thereof of any wild animals or birds, where such animals or birds have been killed in violation of the laws of the State, Territory or District in which the same were killed: Provided, That nothing herein shall prevent the transportation of any dead birds or animals killed during the season when the same may be lawfully captured, and the export of which is not prohibited by law in the State, Territory or District in which the same are killed.
It has been brought to the attention of this Department that a great number of sea and shore birds that breed or live in the vicinity of the several life saving stations of the United States are being killed for various purposes, in many cases contrary to State laws for the protection of birds.
The attention of keepers and crews of such stations is, therefore, called to the matter, and they are hereby cautioned against killing birds in violation of the game laws and the laws protecting birds which have been enacted by the States having jurisdiction, and are still in force; also against aiding or abetting in any way the killing of birds in violation of law. The keeper will report to the General Superintendent of the life saving service any member of a life saving crew whom he may know to be guilty of killing birds thus protected, and all members of life-saving crews, as far as they consistently can without interfering with their other duties, will give information and aid to the local authorities who are endeavoring to suppress such unlawful killing.
District officers will give their aid to the enforcement of the foregoing instructions and promptly report to the General Superintendent any neglect to comply therewith.
S. I. KIMBALL, General Superintendent.
Approved:
L. J. GAGE, Secretary of the Treasury.