Trump administration rolls back a key protection for imperiled wildlife

Key Points:

• The Trump administration finalized a rule narrowing the definition of "harm" under the Endangered Species Act, allowing activities like logging, oil drilling, and mining on critical wildlife habitats as long as animals are not directly killed or injured.
• This change reverses decades of a broader interpretation that protected habitats from encroachment, raising concerns among environmentalists that it could lead to increased habitat destruction and species extinction.
• Administration officials argue the revision restores the law's original intent and respects private property rights, citing a 2024 Supreme Court decision limiting agency authority over environmental statutes.
• Environmental groups strongly oppose the rule, calling it a major threat to wildlife protections and a benefit to industry interests, while Republicans and industry supporters claim the previous law was overly restrictive to economic growth.
• The Endangered Species Act has historically helped recover species like the bald eagle and California condor, and previous rollbacks under Trump were reversed during the Biden administration before this latest change.