The Trump administration on Wednesday launched a long-awaited and far-reaching bid to change how the Endangered Species Act works, with an ambitious set of regulatory proposals longed for by conservatives and loathed by environmentalists.
The proposals would govern how the Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries handle their most important ESA tasks, from designating critical habitat to setting protection standards for threatened species. If made final, they would reverse myriad regulations set during the Biden administration and restore rules from President Donald Trump’s first term.
“This administration is restoring the Endangered Species Act to its original intent, protecting species through clear, consistent and lawful standards that also respect the livelihoods of Americans who depend on our land and resources,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement.
. . . The package released Wednesday is part of a broader Trump administration effort to revamp implementation of the Endangered Species Act, such as a proposal earlier this year to shrink the definition of “harm” as it is applied to a listed species. FWS and NOAA Fisheries suggested removing habitat modification from counting as harm to an animal or plant protected by the law.
With environmental organizations quickly mobilizing to oppose the rule changes, there will be months, if not years, of robust public commentary and likely lots of litigation ahead. The Biden administration’s rule changes that Trump intends to replace were finalized in April 2024 after federal agencies reported receiving more than 146,000 public comments.
“Trump’s proposals are a death sentence for wolverines, monarch butterflies, Florida manatees and so many other animals and plants that desperately need our help,” said Stephanie Kurose, deputy director of government affairs at the Center for Biological Diversity.
Kurose added that “Americans overwhelmingly support the Endangered Species Act and want to see it strengthened, not sledgehammered.”