The Biden administration has restored some rules aimed at protecting endangered plants and animals that were removed by the Trump administration in 2019, as reported by Reuters on March 28. The revision involves two major changes to the Endangered Species Act, including reimposing the so-called blanket rule that ensures the same protection to species and habitats designated as threatened as those classified as endangered when appropriate. The rollback means wildlife protection officials won’t have to formulate time-consuming plans to safeguard each species when protection rules are pending. Another newly restored rule prohibits agencies from considering the economic impacts of listing certain species as threatened or endangered. In 2019, the Trump administration revised the law to allow economic considerations in classification decisions, citing economic impacts on industries such as mining and timber.

Fish and Wildlife Service Director, Martha Williams, stated that the revision underscored the agency’s commitment to using the best available science to halt population declines. She also said the finalized Endangered Species Act is more important than ever inconserving and recovering imperiled species, in the face of new challenges posed by climate change, degraded and fragmented habitat, invasive species, and wildlife. However, the new rules are likely to be challenged by industry groups and Republican states. Critics argue that the revised act is overly broad and could hinder economic growth. Meanwhile, some wildlife protection organizations view the amendment as a “marginal win”, as it only restores essential protections for wildlife while retaining some Trump-era provisions.

Sources:

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-restores-endangered-species-protections-rolled-back-by-trump-2024-03-28/

https://www.npr.org/2024/03/28/1241467876/threatened-species-protections-restored

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/28/politics/biden-endangered-species-climate/index.html

https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN1VB2AE/