Trump administration narrows Endangered Species Act protection for wildlife
A new federal rule changes how agencies apply the law by limiting when damage to habitat counts as harm to protected species.
The Trump administration has finalized a rule that narrows a key safeguard in the Endangered Species Act, changing how federal agencies enforce the law for threatened wildlife in the United States. The move was completed on Friday.
Under the revised policy, the government is limiting the definition of harm so that damage to habitat is less likely to be treated as a violation, according to the administration's rule. The change affects how agencies judge actions that can affect imperiled species.
The Endangered Species Act has long been used to protect animals and plants at risk of extinction by restricting activities that can injure them or their living areas. The new rule marks a shift in how that protection will be applied going forward.
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