(Reuters) -The Trump administration on Wednesday proposed four new rules that would roll back Biden-era regulations that strengthened protections for endangered species.
The move is aligned with President Donald Trump’s effort to unwind what he says are burdensome federal regulations for businesses. Conservation groups said the changes would jeopardize the survival of threatened species including monarch butterflies and Florida manatees.
The Endangered Species Act is a key regulatory consideration for agencies deciding whether to grant permits for oil and gas, mining, electric transmission and other operations on federal lands and water. Under federal law, agencies are required to evaluate the environmental impact of proposed industry operations that could threaten endangered species.
The proposed changes include giving more weight to economic and national security impacts when considering whether to designate a geographic area as critical to the survival of a species. Such areas, known as critical habitat, require special management under the ESA.
Another proposal requires specific rules tailored to each threatened species rather than relying on a single overarching rule that protects species by default.
The agency said the revisions would balance conservation with infrastructure development.
“These actions reaffirm our commitment to science-based conservation that works hand-in-hand with America’s energy, agricultural and infrastructure priorities,” U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Brian Nesvik said in a statement.
“By restoring clarity and predictability, we are giving the regulated community confidence while keeping our focus on recovery outcomes, not paperwork.”
‘DEATH SENTENCE’
In a statement, the Interior Department said it would restore regulatory language from 2019 and 2020, during Trump’s first administration.
The administration of then-President Joe Biden in 2024 had restored protections rolled back by Trump.
“Trump’s proposals are a death sentence for wolverines, monarch butterflies, Florida manatees and so many other animals and plants that desperately need our help,” Stephanie Kurose, deputy director of government affairs at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement.
“We assumed Trump would attack wildlife again but this dumpster fire of a plan is beyond cruel,” she said.
(Reporting by Nichola Groom; Editing by Franklin Paul and Bill Berkrot)
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