Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Biden Moves to Restore Endangered Species Protections Dropped by Trump
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 1 year ago on
June 21, 2023

Share

The Biden administration was expected to propose new rules for protecting imperiled plants and animals on Wednesday that would reverse changes under former President Donald Trump that weakened the Endangered Species Act.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plans to reinstate a decades-old regulation that mandates protections for species that are newly classified as threatened. That measure was dropped under Trump as part of a suite of changes to the species law that was encouraged by industry.

Under Wednesday’s proposal, officials also would drop consideration of economic impacts when deciding if animals and plants need protection. Another change would expand requirements for federal agencies to consult with the wildlife service or the National Marine Fisheries Service before taking actions that could affect threatened or endangered species.

Details on the proposal were obtained by The Associated Press in advance of their public release.

Under Trump, officials rolled back endangered species rules and protections for the northern spotted owlgray wolves and other species. It will take months for Wednesday’s proposal to be finalized.

The Biden administration had earlier reversed Trump’s decision to weaken enforcement of the century-old Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which made it harder to prosecute bird deaths caused by the energy industry. Officials under Biden also withdrew a 2020 rule that limited which lands and waters could be designated as places where imperiled animals and plants could receive federal protection.

Industry groups and Republicans in Congress have long viewed the Endangered Species Act as an impediment to economic development, and under Trump they successfully lobbied to weaken the law’s regulations.

Many of the changes under Trump were finalized during his last weeks in office, giving the Republican administration little time to put them into action.

Biden administration officials say they are trying to bring the 1973 endangered species law into alignment with its original intent and purpose.

Environmentalists have been frustrated it’s taken more than two years for Biden to act on some of the Trump-era rollbacks. Stoking their urgency is the prospect of a new Republican administration following the 2024 election that could yet again rollback protections.

An array of industry groups have long maintained that economic impacts are not given enough consideration in U.S. government wildlife decisions. Those group range from livestock and ranching organizations to trade associations representing oil, gas and mining interests.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

Jack Black, a Small Dog With a Big Heart, Is Looking for His Forever Home

DON'T MISS

Kamala Harris: A Baptist With a Jewish Husband and a Faith That Traces Back to MLK and Gandhi

DON'T MISS

What Italian Grandmothers Can Teach You About Healthy Eating

DON'T MISS

CA Has Seen Many New Towns, but This Big Project Is Stalled

DON'T MISS

Kern County Farmland Values Continue Downward Slide

DON'T MISS

Crescent View West High Celebrates New Clovis Home

DON'T MISS

Fresno Man Sentenced to 29 Years for Sexually Assaulting Children and Dog

DON'T MISS

Bulldogs’ Two-Position Standout Tommy Hopfe Signs With Rockies

DON'T MISS

Artists, Vendors Plan to Defy City’s ArtHop Crackdown

DON'T MISS

Former Bulldog QB Jake Haener: I Have a ‘Rare Form of Skin Cancer’

UP NEXT

‘Fed Up’ Dyer, Councilmembers Unveil Plan to Crack Down on Street Campers

UP NEXT

House Republicans Slam Trump’s ‘Worst Choice’ for VP Pick JD Vance

UP NEXT

Companies Cut Prices to Boost Sales, Consumers Respond

UP NEXT

Will Bonta Election Lawsuit Reverse the Will of Fresno County Voters?

UP NEXT

Uber, Lyft, DoorDash Workers Remain Contractors Due to California Supreme Court Ruling

UP NEXT

Netanyahu Will Meet Trump at Mar-a-Lago, Mending a Yearslong Rift

UP NEXT

Watch: Breaking Down Netanyahu’s Speech in Congress

UP NEXT

Stock Market Today: A Widespread Rally on Wall Street Sends Stocks Rising, Both Big and Small

UP NEXT

Uvalde, Texas, School Officer Pleads Not Guilty to Charges of Failing to Protect Kids During Attack

UP NEXT

Spicy Dispute Over the Origins of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Winds up in Court

CA Has Seen Many New Towns, but This Big Project Is Stalled

2 hours ago

Kern County Farmland Values Continue Downward Slide

2 hours ago

Crescent View West High Celebrates New Clovis Home

13 hours ago

Fresno Man Sentenced to 29 Years for Sexually Assaulting Children and Dog

13 hours ago

Bulldogs’ Two-Position Standout Tommy Hopfe Signs With Rockies

14 hours ago

Artists, Vendors Plan to Defy City’s ArtHop Crackdown

14 hours ago

Former Bulldog QB Jake Haener: I Have a ‘Rare Form of Skin Cancer’

15 hours ago

The Many Names of GOP Vice Presidential Nominee JD Vance

15 hours ago

‘Fed Up’ Dyer, Councilmembers Unveil Plan to Crack Down on Street Campers

15 hours ago

House Republicans Slam Trump’s ‘Worst Choice’ for VP Pick JD Vance

15 hours ago

Jack Black, a Small Dog With a Big Heart, Is Looking for His Forever Home

In October last year, a heartwarming tale of resilience and recovery began in the unlikeliest of places: a crate abandoned in an alley. This...

41 mins ago

41 mins ago

Jack Black, a Small Dog With a Big Heart, Is Looking for His Forever Home

46 mins ago

Kamala Harris: A Baptist With a Jewish Husband and a Faith That Traces Back to MLK and Gandhi

1 hour ago

What Italian Grandmothers Can Teach You About Healthy Eating

2 hours ago

CA Has Seen Many New Towns, but This Big Project Is Stalled

2 hours ago

Kern County Farmland Values Continue Downward Slide

13 hours ago

Crescent View West High Celebrates New Clovis Home

13 hours ago

Fresno Man Sentenced to 29 Years for Sexually Assaulting Children and Dog

14 hours ago

Bulldogs’ Two-Position Standout Tommy Hopfe Signs With Rockies

MENU

CONNECT WITH US

Search

Send this to a friend