In brief
The Trump administration is looking to redefine "harm" under the Endangered Species Act, potentially weakening protections for habitats critical to imperiled species.
The Trump administration is set on reshaping the half-century-old Endangered Species Act by changing the definition of "harm." A new proposal from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration aims to eliminate the existing interpretation, which includes habitat destruction as "harm." This shift aligns with President Trump’s agenda to boost drilling, logging, and various developments across the U.S. Administration officials deem the current broad definition burdensome for businesses, advocating for a narrower focus that would only consider intentional harm, like hunting or trapping.However, environmental advocates warn that the majority of endangered species face extinction due to habitat loss. Andrew Bowman, the president of Defenders of Wildlife, described this proposed change as a significant blow to wildlife protection, emphasizing that safeguarding habitats is crucial for the survival of many vulnerable species. This proposal marks a critical turning point in environmental policy since the Endangered Species Act was enacted in 1973.
