BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — President Donald Trump’s administration moved Wednesday to roll back protections for imperiled species and their habitats, reinstituting changes to the Endangered Species Act that had been blocked under former President Joe Biden.
The new regulations eliminate the automatic protections provided by the Fish and Wildlife Service for animals and plants that are newly classified as threatened. Instead, government agencies will need to develop specific rules for each species, which could prolong the process significantly.
Environmentalists have raised alarms that these changes could lead to years-long delays in crucial conservation initiatives for vulnerable species, such as the monarch butterfly, Florida manatee, California spotted owl, and North American wolverine. Stephanie Kurose from the Center for Biological Diversity expressed the gravity of the situation, stating, “We would have to wait until these poor animals are almost extinct before we can start protecting them. That’s absurd and heartbreaking.”
The proposals emerge amid a global crisis of accelerating extinctions due to habitat destruction and other pressures. Previous propositions during the Trump administration hinted at revising the definition of ‘harm’ under the Endangered Species Act, potentially permitting exemptions for species protections in logging projects on public lands.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum defended the changes, claiming they restore the Act to its original purpose while taking into account the livelihoods of Americans dependent on natural resources. He stated, “These revisions end years of legal confusion and regulatory overreach, delivering certainty to states, tribes, landowners and businesses while ensuring conservation efforts remain grounded in sound science and common sense.”
Critics, including Jonathan Wood, Vice President of the Property and Environment Research Center, endorsed the proposed changes, arguing that they correct previous overreaches that inhibited species recovery efforts. Wood emphasized that ensuring recovery remains central to the Endangered Species Act is crucial as the administration navigates a complex balance between wildlife conservation and economic interests.
The new regulations eliminate the automatic protections provided by the Fish and Wildlife Service for animals and plants that are newly classified as threatened. Instead, government agencies will need to develop specific rules for each species, which could prolong the process significantly.
Environmentalists have raised alarms that these changes could lead to years-long delays in crucial conservation initiatives for vulnerable species, such as the monarch butterfly, Florida manatee, California spotted owl, and North American wolverine. Stephanie Kurose from the Center for Biological Diversity expressed the gravity of the situation, stating, “We would have to wait until these poor animals are almost extinct before we can start protecting them. That’s absurd and heartbreaking.”
The proposals emerge amid a global crisis of accelerating extinctions due to habitat destruction and other pressures. Previous propositions during the Trump administration hinted at revising the definition of ‘harm’ under the Endangered Species Act, potentially permitting exemptions for species protections in logging projects on public lands.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum defended the changes, claiming they restore the Act to its original purpose while taking into account the livelihoods of Americans dependent on natural resources. He stated, “These revisions end years of legal confusion and regulatory overreach, delivering certainty to states, tribes, landowners and businesses while ensuring conservation efforts remain grounded in sound science and common sense.”
Critics, including Jonathan Wood, Vice President of the Property and Environment Research Center, endorsed the proposed changes, arguing that they correct previous overreaches that inhibited species recovery efforts. Wood emphasized that ensuring recovery remains central to the Endangered Species Act is crucial as the administration navigates a complex balance between wildlife conservation and economic interests.
