BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — The Trump administration has taken steps to roll back protections for endangered species, reinstating previously blocked changes to the Endangered Species Act. The modifications include the removal of automatic protections for newly classified threatened species, which critics argue could lead to significant delays in conservation efforts. Environmentalists, including representatives from the Center for Biological Diversity, express concern that waiting until a species is near extinction to implement protective measures is both absurd and heartbreaking.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum defended the changes, stating they aimed to restore the original purpose of the Endangered Species Act while also considering the livelihoods reliant on land and resources. Furthermore, he claims that the new rules would eliminate legal confusion and regulatory overreach. These revisions have long been desired by some Republicans and industries, including oil and gas and agriculture, who argue that the act has been applied too broadly, limiting economic growth.
The revised approach mandates that government agencies create specific protections tailored to each species rather than applying a blanket rule, potentially extending the time required to implement conservation strategies. Environmentalists worry this could hinder efforts to protect vulnerable species such as the monarch butterfly and North American wolverine.
Burgum's department has stated that weighing economic impacts during the designation of critical habitats for species is now part of the equation. The administration argues this reform will place species recovery back at the center of the Endangered Species Act, while critics continue to question the potential long-term impacts on biodiversity.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum defended the changes, stating they aimed to restore the original purpose of the Endangered Species Act while also considering the livelihoods reliant on land and resources. Furthermore, he claims that the new rules would eliminate legal confusion and regulatory overreach. These revisions have long been desired by some Republicans and industries, including oil and gas and agriculture, who argue that the act has been applied too broadly, limiting economic growth.
The revised approach mandates that government agencies create specific protections tailored to each species rather than applying a blanket rule, potentially extending the time required to implement conservation strategies. Environmentalists worry this could hinder efforts to protect vulnerable species such as the monarch butterfly and North American wolverine.
Burgum's department has stated that weighing economic impacts during the designation of critical habitats for species is now part of the equation. The administration argues this reform will place species recovery back at the center of the Endangered Species Act, while critics continue to question the potential long-term impacts on biodiversity.
