Trump ESA Proposal Risks Habitat for 10 Species Amid 25K Comments

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Trump administration's proposal could strip away crucial habitat protections for endangered animals by changing how "harm" is defined under the Endangered Species Act.1

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The proposed rule would limit prohibitions to direct injury or killing, eliminating decades-old protections against habitat destruction that endangers wildlife.2

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Florida panthers, eastern hellbenders, chinook salmon and spotted owls are among 10 species facing heightened extinction risk if habitat protections vanish.

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You simply can't protect species without protecting the places they live," warns Noah Greenwald from the Center for Biological Diversity.3

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The administration cites a 1995 dissenting opinion from Justice Antonin Scalia as justification, despite established legal precedent supporting broader habitat protections.

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Landowners would gain freedom to harvest timber, develop, or modify land when animals aren't physically present, regardless of how this affects their survival later.4

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Even non-endangered species like Greater sage-grouse could suffer as voluntary conservation efforts might decrease without regulatory incentives.

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The proposal aligns with other administration moves to expand logging, mining, and oil and gas production on lands previously protected for wildlife.

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Some landowners welcome fewer regulations, but experts warn many habitats could be destroyed "without any benefit to the species.

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Nearly 25,000 public comments flooded in during the first week, showing strong interest before the May 19 deadline for feedback on the controversial proposal.

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