Defenders of Wildlife Applauds Removal of Trump-era Barrier to Protecting Threatened and Endangered Species

Defenders of Wildlife applauds the Biden administration’s move today to throw out the Trump-era rule that had made it easier to exclude areas essential to the recovery of endangered and threatened species. By making it easier to exclude such areas from critical habitat protections based on economic impacts, the Trump rule drastically undercut the Endangered Species Act (ESA). 

Federal agencies are required to take special care when carrying out actions in areas designated as critical habitat. 

“We are thrilled to see the Biden administration take this important step towards restoring Endangered Species Act protections,” said Andrew Carter, senior conservation policy analyst for Defenders of Wildlife.  “Our health and well-being depends on our nation’s rich biodiversity, and the Biden administration needs to keep taking every possible step to shore up the law responsible for saving it, including developing a national biodiversity strategy.”

This announcement follows the removal of another Trump-era rule that limited what could be defined as critical habitat under the ESA last month, and a major court victory in early July, litigated by Defenders of Wildlife and our partners, that also got rid of a large swathe of harmful regulations enacted under the former president. 

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Patrick Myers/NPS