Trump Officials Move to Dismantle Key Protection for US Endangered Species
Fish and Wildlife Service memo calls for change in what it means to ‘take’ an endangered species
TL;DR
- Over 1,600 endangered species may lose federal protections due to a reinterpretation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
- A memo from the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) redefines 'take' to exclude unintentional harm to endangered species.
- This change could exempt economic activities like logging and mining from ESA prohibitions when they foreseeably kill or injure wildlife.
- The reinterpretation follows the administration's earlier repeal of the ESA's definition of 'harm,' which included significant habitat modification.
- Environmental organizations condemn the reinterpretation, citing a 1995 Supreme Court decision and vowing legal challenges.
- This action is part of a broader pattern of environmental rollbacks by the Trump administration.