Overview
- Interior, FWS and NOAA Fisheries proposed four rules now posted in the Federal Register, triggering a 30-day public comment period starting Nov. 21.
- One rule would end the Fish and Wildlife Service’s blanket 4(d) protections for all threatened species, requiring tailored rules that critics say could delay safeguards.
- The agencies propose deleting Biden-era language that listings are made "without reference" to economic impacts, allowing cost analyses to be compiled even as the statute still requires science-based decisions.
- Proposals would narrow how critical habitat is designated by weighing national security and economic factors, and would rescind a Biden-era option to require habitat offsets.
- Conservation groups vow court challenges and warn of risks to species such as wolverines, monarchs and Florida manatees, while experts question agency capacity after reported staff and budget cuts.