The Trump administration moved forward Friday on gutting a longstanding federal protection for the nation's birds, over objections from former federal officials and many scientists that billions more birds will likely perish as a result. Fish and Wildlife Service published its take on the proposed rollback in the Federal Register. The Trump administration maintains that the Act should apply only to birds killed or harmed intentionally, and is putting that “clarifying” change into regulation. The administration has continued to push the migratory bird regulation even after a federal judge in New York in August rejected the administration’s legal rationale. Steve Holmer with the American Bird Conservancy said the change would accelerate bird population declines that have swept North America since the 1970s.