Particle.news
Download on the App Store
9 ARTICLES
·
3w ago

Trump Administration Proposes Rollbacks to Endangered Species Act Protections

The plan seeks to remove the definition of 'harm' to habitats, a move environmentalists warn could lead to significant habitat destruction.

FILE - A baby manatee swimming beside its mother comes to the surface to breathe, at Manatee Lagoon, in Riviera Beach, Fla., Jan. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)
FILE - Cut down trees are visible at the site of a timber sale in the Tahoe National Forest, June 6, 2023, near Camptonville, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez, File)
“The Wild Couch Party and Friends,” a public art sculpture exhibited in New York City, depicts some of the world’s most endangered animals as the planet experiences its 6th mass extinction, seeks to raise awareness about the human role in these events in New York City, New York, U.S., July 11, 2024. REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs

Overview

  • The Trump administration has proposed rescinding the definition of 'harm' under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), which currently protects habitats from degradation.
  • The plan is part of a broader effort to ease regulatory burdens on businesses and promote economic development, particularly in industries like logging, mining, and energy.
  • Environmental groups have expressed strong opposition, arguing that the changes could result in habitat destruction and increased risks to endangered species.
  • The proposal will undergo a 30-day public comment period following its publication in the Federal Register, expected on Thursday.
  • The ESA, credited with saving species like the bald eagle and California condor, has been a cornerstone of U.S. conservation efforts since its enactment in 1973.