THE AUDUBON BULLETIN 61 
Game Refuge Bill Becomes a Law 
Successful Culmination of an Eight Year Struggle for 
federal Migratory Bird Refuges 
HE signing of the Norbeck-Andresen Migratory Bird Conserva- 
tion Act by President Coolidge on Feb. 18, 1929, marked the 
culmination of a campaign extending over eight years and through 
eight sessions of Congress. After amendment by the Committee on 
Agriculture of the House of Representatives, the so-called Norbeck Bill 
S. 1271 was approved by the Committee and unanimously recommended 
for passage. This was done without a public hearing, all members of 
the committee being thoroughly familiar with the various provisions of 
this bill and its predecessors through frequent hearings. 
SENATE ACCEPTS AMENDMENTS 
The amended bill was accepted by Senator Norbeck as satisfactory 
to him and was repassed by the Senate in its amended form without 
change on Monday, February 11th. Senator Norbeck earned the ever- 
lasting gratitude of all friends of conservation by his tireless and per- 
sistent work for this legislation. 
Work or WILp LIFE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE 
The successful outcome of the campaign for the passage of the bill in 
this last short session of the 7oth Congress is due to the activities of the 
National Committee on Wild Life Legislation, a committee which was 
created at the conventions of the Internatioal Association of Game, 
Fish and Conservation Commissioners and the Western Association of 
Game Commissioners at Seattle, Washington, in August 1928. 
Act Most Important 
The passage of the Migratory Bird Conservation Act is, undoubtedly, 
the most important event in migratory bird conservation accomplish- 
ments since the enactment of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in 1918. 
Immediately after the enactment of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act 
ten years ago it became evident to Dr. E. W. Nelson, Chief of the 
Biological Survey, other officials and experts that the mere establish- 
ment of regulations governing the taking of migratory birds would not 
be sufficient to insure their perpetuity and that in order to complete 
the system of conservation for these birds embraced under the provisions 
of the Treaty with Canada a system of refuges or sanctuaries in the 
areas traversed by the birds in their migratory flights and on their 
wintering grounds was necessary. The American Game Protective 
