The U.S. Interior Department recently canceled a rule designed to protect plants and animals identified as threatened with extinction. This move by President Donald Trump’s administration is part of efforts to dismantle parts of the longstanding Endangered Species Act, responding to industry pressures.
Without automatic protections, species added to the threatened list will require specific protection plans. This process can be lengthy and allows industries like oil and gas, mining, and other developments to seek exemptions in areas where these species reside.
Critics argue that delaying protections endangers wildlife, such as monarch butterflies and alligator snapping turtles, already at risk of disappearing. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum noted that the Endangered Species Act had been misused to halt many new projects, affecting costs and competitiveness.
The focus should be on species recovery and removing them from the list, not adding more, according to Burgum.
A second change requires officials to consider economic impacts when designating critical habitats. Critics worry this could favor corporate interests, allowing development in essential areas.
Noah Greenwald from the Center for Biological Diversity warned that allowing certain industries exemptions could worsen habitat destruction, posing a main threat to the species.
Similar changes during Trump’s first term were reversed under former President Joe Biden. The blanket protections for threatened wildlife were firstly adopted in 1975 and for plants in 1977.
The Biden administration was sued in 2024 by groups who argued the restoration of the blanket protections imposed unfair restrictions. They believed it deterred landowners from aiding in species recovery, as noted by Jonathan Wood, a vice president at the Property and Environment Research Center.
Trump’s administration recorded no new additions to the endangered or threatened lists in this term, compared to over 20 in his first term and about 60 during Biden’s presidency. Currently, around 30 species are proposed for listing, including California spotted owls and other species.
Changes to the endangered plant and wildlife policies have progressed more significantly in Trump’s second term. In March, oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico received an exemption from the Endangered Species Act due to concerns raised by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, stating environmental lawsuits hinder energy supplies.
New definitions of “harm” now permit developments on critical habitats if animals aren’t immediately harmed, and critical habitat for the Canada lynx in the Rockies was reduced. Burgum also announced more state management authority over grizzly bears, aligning with a priority for the Republican governors in certain states.
The Endangered Species Act has been credited with saving animals like the bald eagle and American alligator. However, 97% remain listed, which frustrates legislators wanting speedier removals once recovery occurs.
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