*Pages 1--1 from Microsoft Word - 30634* Federal Communications Commission FCC 03- 205 SEPARATE STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN MICHAEL K. POWELL Re: Effects of Communications Towers on Migratory Birds Last May, I announced the FCC’s first ever comprehensive action plan to enhance the Commission’s implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA). Today’s action is an essential component of that plan. The Notice of Inquiry takes a critical step forward by calling for a record to assess exactly how, and to what extent, migratory birds may be affected by our nation’s critical communications infrastructure. While we must continue to deploy infrastructure to enhance public safety and improve communications service, the record gathered here will guide us in deploying such facilities in the most environmentally sound way possible. I encourage broad-based participation in this inquiry to allow us to determine the best path forward on this complex issue. 1