BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — Trump administration officials on Thursday stripped Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves in most of the U.S., ending longstanding federal safeguards and putting states in charge of overseeing the predators. The U.S. Department of Interior announcement just days ahead of the Nov. 3 election could lead...
Federal Judge in Fresno Temporarily Blocks Trump Water Plan
Federal Judge Dale A. Drozd temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's efforts to send more water to Central Valley growers on Monday. Drozd issued a preliminary injunction in two lawsuits brought against the administration by California’s Natural Resources Agency and Environmental Protection Agency and a half-dozen environmental groups. Federal Pumping Can't...
California Commission Lists Yellow-Legged Frog as Endangered
SACRAMENTO — There’s new hope for an endangered California frog that has vanished from half of its habitat. The state Fish and Game Commission on Wednesday approved protections for five of six populations of the foothill yellow-legged frog. The Center for Biological Diversity had sought protection for the stream-dwelling amphibians...
Behind Newsom's Break with Democrats on Environmental ‘Trump Insurance’ Bill
In a break with the Democratic-controlled Legislature, Gov. Gavin Newsom sided with farmers and water agencies Saturday by rejecting legislation aimed at blocking the Trump administration from rolling back endangered species protections. Over Newsom’s objections, Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins pushed forward with votes on what is the most...
Trump Overhauling Enforcement of Endangered Species Act
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is finalizing major changes Monday to the way it enforces the landmark Endangered Species Act, a move it says will reduce regulatory burden but critics charge will drive more creatures to extinction. The administration was making public a final rule overhauling the way the federal...
Trump Overhauling Enforcement of Endangered Species Act
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is finalizing major changes Monday to the way it enforces the landmark Endangered Species Act, a move it says will reduce regulatory burden but critics charge will drive more creatures to extinction. The administration was making public a final rule overhauling the way the federal...
Politics, Killings Stifle Wolf Recovery Amid Hefty Price Tag
RALEIGH, N.C. — Illegal killings and longstanding political resistance have undercut the return of two species of endangered wolves to the wild, frustrating government efforts that already cost more than $80 million but have failed to meet recovery targets. The number of red wolves roaming the forests of North Carolina...
Hunted for Meat, Giraffes May Join Threatened Species List
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration took a first step Thursday toward extending protections for giraffes under the Endangered Species Act, following legal pressure from environmental groups. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that its initial review has determined there is "substantial information that listing may be warranted" for giraffes. The...
Westlands Former Lobbyist Confirmed to Head Interior Department
WASHINGTON — The Senate on Thursday confirmed acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt to lead the department on a permanent basis, despite complaints by Democrats that the former oil and gas lobbyist has used his federal position to benefit former industry clients. The Senate voted 56-41 to approve Bernhardt's nomination to...
Judge Upholds Protection for Gray Wolves in California
LOS ANGELES — A California judge on Monday upheld protection for gray wolves under the state's Endangered Species Act, rejecting a legal challenge from ranchers and farmers who fear the predators will threaten their livestock. The judge in San Diego ruled that California was right to list the wolves as...