Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson, Chairman of the House Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, hosted a briefing on Apr. 16 focused on preserving birds of prey worldwide. The event included a demonstration with live birds such as a Silvery Cheeked Hornbill, Eurasian Eagle Owl, White-naped Raven, King Vulture, and African Fish Eagle.
The roundtable highlighted the importance of species recovery efforts and brought together members of Congress and staff to learn about ongoing work in bird conservation. Chris Parish, President and CEO of The Peregrine Fund based in Boise, Idaho, participated in the bipartisan event.
“Idaho has taken the lead in species recovery, particularly in preserving birds of prey, with many thanks to The Peregrine Fund. It has changed the paradigm of endangered species recovery and has continuously built on its successful track record of effective endangered species management. As a longtime advocate for preserving these beautiful birds, I was thrilled a fellow Idahoan, Chris Parish, could join for this informative and exciting briefing, and for numerous of my colleagues to see the beauty of exotic birds,” said Rep. Simpson.
Simpson’s prepared remarks emphasized that The Peregrine Fund is recognized globally for its expertise in raptor conservation from its base in Idaho’s capital city. He also discussed federal investments supporting community-driven conservation programs through appropriations bills. These include grants under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s North American Wetlands Conservation Act as well as Recovery Challenge grants used to help recover raptor populations.
Parish said during his remarks that “The Peregrine Fund is dedicated to the often unseen, hard work of bringing listed species back from the brink of extinction…” He also noted support for regulatory changes under federal law aimed at making delisting more functional when appropriate: “Reforms should reward the conservation contributions of States…especially where those commitments have succeeded in ensuring a species is no longer threatened or endangered under the Act.” Parish explained that comments had recently been filed by The Peregrine Fund backing such regulatory changes.
Mike Simpson currently serves as U.S. Representative for Idaho’s 2nd district after replacing Mike Crapo in 1999 according to congressional records. Before joining Congress he served in Idaho’s House from 1984 to 1998 according to his official biography. Born in Burley in 1950 and now living in Idaho Falls at age 72 as reported by local news sources, Simpson graduated from Utah State University with a Bachelor’s degree according to Congress.gov.
