Trump cancels protections for animals threatened with extinction

President Donald Trump's administration has removed a rule that automatically protected plants and animals listed as 'threatened' with extinction. The U.S. Interior Department canceled the rule on Friday. It was the latest move by the Trump team to weaken a major wildlife protection law called the Endangered Species Act. Environmental groups and scientists expressed concern about what this means for hundreds of at-risk species.

Under the old rule, any plant or animal added to the threatened species list received automatic protections. Now, each species will need its own individual protection plan after being listed. That process could take a long time, and during that time companies could apply for exemptions to drill for oil and gas, mine land, or build in areas where those species live. Critics say this gap in protection could be deadly for already-struggling wildlife.

Environmental groups were upset by the change. They said it would make it much harder to save animals like monarch butterflies and alligator snapping turtles. About 30 species are currently proposed to be listed as threatened, including California spotted owls and various snakes, fish, clams, and insects. Advocates worry many of these animals could disappear before new plans are put in place.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the Endangered Species Act had been used for too long to block new projects across the country. He argued this drove up costs for families, hurt U.S. competitiveness, and even weakened national security. 'Success should be measured by species recovery and delisting, not by adding more species to the list,' Burgum said. His comments reflect a view shared by many Republican leaders.

A second rule change was also finalized on Friday. It requires officials to consider the economic impact on businesses when deciding whether an area of land is critical to a species' survival. Critics say this gives corporations too much influence and could allow development in areas that wildlife depend on. 'If you're exempting certain industries that cause habitat destruction, in many instances you'll be exempting the main threat to those species,' said Noah Greenwald of the Center for Biological Diversity.

No species have been added to the endangered or threatened lists during Trump's second term. By comparison, more than 20 species were added during Trump's first term, and about 60 were added during President Joe Biden's time in office. The rules giving automatic protections to threatened species were first created in 1975 for wildlife and in 1977 for plants. Similar changes were made during Trump's first term but were later reversed by Biden.

Trump's team has moved faster and gone further with these changes in his second term than in his first. In March, the administration exempted oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico from the Endangered Species Act. Last week, officials narrowed the definition of 'harm' to a species, allowing development on wildlife habitat as long as animals are not immediately killed or injured. This week, officials also reduced the amount of protected land in the Rocky Mountains set aside for Canada lynx, a type of wild cat threatened by climate change.

The Endangered Species Act is credited with saving iconic American animals, including the bald eagle and the American alligator, from dying out completely. Burgum pointed out that 97% of species that have been given protections still have them. However, Republican lawmakers argue that species should be removed from the protected list more quickly once they have recovered. Conservationists say the law has been one of the most successful environmental protections in U.S. history.