Tracking bird migration and big changes at the EPA

A flurry of court decisions across the country helped shape the headlines on the climate and environment fronts this week, while another massive storm began moving across the country from the Pacific Ocean.

Welcome to Climate Point, your weekly guide to climate, energy and the environment. I'm Dinah Voyles Pulver, a national correspondent with Paste BN.

With dogwoods in full bloom and many trees wearing their new, bright green spring coats across the South, it's a good time to turn your eyes skyward to watch for migrating birds. In Florida, the graceful swallow-tailed kites have begun to arrive from South America and other birds are on the move.

On the biggest nights in the spring, as many as 500 million birds could be flying above, reports Elizabeth Weise in Paste BN. A collaboration among the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Colorado State University and others makes it possible to follow these massive bird migrations through radar tracking on the BirdCast migration dashboard.

The bird migration forecast maps show the predicted nocturnal migration three hours after sunset and they update every six hours. Advances in radar technology have helped make it possible to see the migrations at finer scales. The biggest peaks are still to come.

"It's not until April that you really start to get the big bang of bird diversity," said Andrew Farnsworth, a migration ecologist at Cornell University. "The peak migration comes like a wave across the United States, breaking from south to north."

More on birds

A new report out this week by a coalition of science and conservation organizations concludes bird populations in the nation continue to see "widespread declines." The 2025 State of the Birds report says 229 bird species require "urgent conservation action." The coalition is led by the North American Bird Conservation Initiative.

"Many bird populations are struggling, said Steve Adair, chief scientist with Ducks Unlimited. "But a proven blueprint for success is science-based planning and collaborative investment in habitat conservation."

Big changes at the EPA

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released dozens of actions this week in what it intends to be a “historic” effort to roll back Biden-era regulations and reduce regulatory costs, prompting swift response from environmental organizations across the nation.

The EPA issued at least 26 news releases, announcing revisions to policies ranging from what constitutes a harmful emission to rolling back rules on coal-fired power plants and efforts to ensure environmental justice. The statements list 31 environmental rules and programs the agency plans to reconsider, revise or roll back.

The Environmental Integrity Project said the EPA's actions, if implemented, would undermine the agency’s authority to combat climate change, challenge pollution control regulations for power plants, weaken wetlands protection and end incentives for electric vehicles.

Gardening for butterflies

If you're looking for a spring activity, consider starting gardens or even pots of plants that can help nurture butterflies. Their populations have dropped across the U.S.

"They are all in trouble, everywhere," said Collin Edwards, an ecological modeler with the Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife and first author on a paper published in the journal Science. It doesn’t take much to create a butterfly haven, with a few flowers for nectar and greenery for them to place their eggs.

Tracking DOGE cuts and the ripple effects

State and local officials across the country are still trying to sort out what the slashing of the federal budget and workforce means for local parks, wildlife refuges and environmental monitoring.

On the streets of Moab, Utah, popular for its proximity to the amazing rock canyons and formation in the region, things aren't normal this year, writes Trevor Hughes with Paste BN.

"I know lots of people who come fairly regularly. And they're not coming this year," said Canadian tourist Stephen Krause, 51. All along Main Street, businesses report "a significant drop" in Canadian tourists angered by President Donald Trump's on-again, off-again tariff plans and his talk of making Canada the 51st state. American visitors are worried about the impacts of job cuts in the region, which relies heavily on the millions of tourists who visit Arches and Canyonlands national parks.

California concerns: Local officials were concerned a harbor lease connected with Channel Islands National Park could be terminated. Conservation groups also raised some opposition in response to a new logging plan announced by President Donald Trump.

Feds in Florida: Officials in Florida were surprised to hear federal officials planned to terminate the lease for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Jacksonville, but the decision was rescinded. Reporters for the Paste BN Network in Florida tried to tally up about many employees were let go at national wildlife refuges. They concluded at least six workers at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service were dismissed.

Cuts also were made in Northern California and Wisconsin.