Trump proposals will weaken and limit protection by Endangered Species Act, environmentalists say

"It's just been an incredible tool that allows, you know, for really critical areas. It's basically stopping projects that are going to really harm the endangered species. So if you take that away and you only count, like, deliberately hunting or taking an endangered species, I'd say the level of effective protection goes down by like 99%."

"And wildlife communities are under attack right now. There are several proposals to weaken the act, to make it harder to get animals protected under the act, to make it easier to remove protections and to make protections less meaningful. So it's just an assault on all."

Bay Area researcher Stuart Weiss and environmental scientists warn that Trump administration proposals could severely weaken the Endangered Species Act. The administration proposes redefining "harm" to apply only to direct killing of protected animals, excluding habitat destruction. This change would eliminate protections for critical ecosystems that endangered species depend on. Scientists estimate this would reduce protection effectiveness by approximately 99%. The Center for Biological Diversity reports the administration is also attempting to prevent new species from receiving protection and make it easier to remove existing protections. Western monarch butterflies exemplify this threat, with populations declining dramatically since the 1990s. Environmental organizations are filing lawsuits to challenge delays in species listings and protect habitats from threats like pesticides.

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