US Rollback of Endangered Species Act Sparks Extinction Concerns

WHO:

ABC News - U.S. Interior Department, President Trump, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Noah Greenwald (Center for Biological Diversity), Jonathan Wood (Property and Environment Research Center).

The Conversation - U.S. Department of Interior, President Richard Nixon, U.S. Supreme Court, Justice John Paul Stevens, Justice Antonin Scalia, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, Chief Justice John Roberts.

WHAT:

ABC News - The U.S. Interior Department canceled a rule that provided automatic protections for imperiled species, requiring them to have individualized protection plans instead.

ABC News - A second change requires officials to analyze economic impacts when deciding whether habitat is critical to a species’ survival.

ABC News - The rules that provided "blanket protections" to threatened species were first adopted for wildlife in 1975 and for plants in 1977.

ABC News - There have been no species added to the endangered or threatened lists in Trump's second term; over 20 species were added in his first term, and about 60 during Biden’s presidency.

ABC News - About 30 species are currently proposed to be listed as threatened, including California spotted owls and various snakes, fish, clams, and insects.

ABC News - The U.S. Interior Department canceled a rule that provided automatic protections for imperiled species, requiring them to have individualized protection plans instead.

ABC News - The Trump administration's changes to the Endangered Species Act have been described as allowing the killing, trapping, and harassment of species threatened with extinction, such as pygmy rabbits and Florida manatees.

ABC News - Changes to government policies for endangered plants and wildlife have come faster and extended further in Trump's second term than in his first.

ABC News - The administration in March exempted oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico from the Endangered Species Act.

ABC News - This week, officials sharply reduced the amount of critical habitat in the U.S. Rocky Mountains designated for Canada lynx.

ABC News - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will turn over more management authority for grizzly bears to states where they live.

ABC News - The U.S. Interior Department canceled a rule that provided automatic protections for imperiled species, requiring them to have individualized protection plans instead.

ABC News - The amount of critical habitat designated for Canada lynx in the U.S. Rocky Mountains has been sharply reduced.

ABC News - About 30 species are currently proposed to be listed as threatened, including California spotted owls and various snakes, fish, clams, and insects.

ABC News - The U.S. Interior Department has exempted oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico from the Endangered Species Act.

ABC News - Interior officials narrowed the definition of what constitutes “harm” to a species, allowing development on critical wildlife habitat as long as the animals are not immediately killed or injured.

ABC News - The amount of critical habitat in the U.S. Rocky Mountains designated for Canada lynx has been sharply reduced.

ABC News - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will turn over more management authority for grizzly bears to states where they live, as stated by Doug Burgum during a visit to Montana.

ABC News - The U.S. Interior Department canceled a rule meant to protect plants and animals determined to be threatened with extinction.

ABC News - Imperiled species will now require individualized protection plans instead of automatic protections.

ABC News - A second change requires officials to analyze economic impacts when deciding whether habitat is critical to a species’ survival.

ABC News - No species have been added to the endangered or threatened lists during Trump’s second term; over 20 species were added in his first term.

ABC News - About 30 species are currently proposed to be listed as threatened.

The Conversation - On July 14, 2026, the U.S. Department of Interior rescinded the harm rule under the Endangered Species Act.

WHERE:

ABC News - The changes to the Endangered Species Act affect wildlife across the United States, including the U.S. Rocky Mountains and the Gulf of Mexico.

WHEN:

ABC News - The rule changes were finalized on a Friday, with specific actions taken in March and last week.

The Conversation - The harm rule was rescinded on July 14, 2026.

WHY:

ABC News - Doug Burgum stated that the Endangered Species Act had been used for too long to stop new projects, driving up costs for families and undermining national security.

ABC News - Doug Burgum stated that the Endangered Species Act had been used to stop new projects, driving up costs and undermining national security.

The Conversation - The Trump administration argues that habitat destruction is not harmful, which contradicts the primary reason species become endangered.

HOW:

ABC News - The Trump administration's approach allows companies to seek exemptions for development projects that may affect threatened species.

ABC News - The administration in March exempted oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico from the Endangered Species Act.

ABC News - Officials sharply reduced the amount of critical habitat in the U.S. Rocky Mountains designated for Canada lynx.

ABC News - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will turn over more management authority for grizzly bears to states where they live.

ABC News - The Trump administration's approach allows companies to seek exemptions for development projects that may affect threatened species.

ABC News - The Trump administration's approach allows companies to seek exemptions for development projects that may affect threatened species, which critics argue could lead to habitat destruction.

ABC News - The Trump administration's approach allows officials to better reward progress and encourage proactive conservation.

ABC News - The new approach allows companies to seek exemptions for development projects that may affect threatened species.

The Conversation - The rescinding of the harm rule was formalized by the U.S. Department of Interior, which involved removing language that protected species from habitat loss.

(UPDATED July 19, 2026 01:21 UTC)

The U.S. Interior Department has canceled a rule that provided automatic protections for imperiled species, now requiring individualized protection plans instead. Additionally, officials will need to analyze economic impacts when determining whether a habitat is critical for a species' survival, a significant shift from previous blanket protections established in the 1970s. Under the Trump administration's approach, companies can seek exemptions for development projects affecting threatened species, and management authority for grizzly bears will be handed over to the states where they reside.

(UPDATED July 18, 2026 23:11 UTC)

The U.S. Interior Department has canceled a rule that provided automatic protections for endangered species, now requiring individualized protection plans instead. Under Trump's administration, changes to the Endangered Species Act have accelerated, allowing for actions such as the killing and harassment of threatened species like pygmy rabbits and Florida manatees, while also exempting oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico from these protections. Additionally, officials have reduced critical habitat for Canada lynx in the Rocky Mountains and will be granting more management authority for grizzly bears to the states where they reside.

(UPDATED July 18, 2026 16:15 UTC)

The U.S. Interior Department has canceled a rule that provided automatic protections for imperiled species, now requiring individualized protection plans instead. Critics of the Trump administration's changes to the Endangered Species Act argue that these adjustments could lead to the killing, trapping, and harassment of threatened species, including pygmy rabbits and Florida manatees, while the amount of critical habitat for Canada lynx in the Rocky Mountains has been sharply reduced. Approximately 30 species, such as California spotted owls and various snakes, fish, clams, and insects, are currently proposed to be listed as threatened, with the administration's new approach allowing companies to seek exemptions for development projects that may impact these species.

(UPDATED July 18, 2026 10:21 UTC)

The U.S. Interior Department has exempted oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico from the Endangered Species Act, while also narrowing the definition of “harm” to a species, which allows development on critical wildlife habitat as long as animals are not immediately killed or injured. Additionally, the amount of critical habitat designated for Canada lynx in the U.S. Rocky Mountains has been sharply reduced, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will transfer more management authority for grizzly bears to the states where they reside, as highlighted by Doug Burgum during his visit to Montana. Burgum emphasized that the Endangered Species Act has been used for too long to halt new projects, increasing costs for families and impacting national security, and the Trump administration's approach aims to better reward progress and promote proactive conservation.

(UPDATED July 18, 2026 01:25 UTC)

The U.S. Interior Department has canceled a rule designed to protect threatened plants and animals, shifting to a system where imperiled species will now require individualized protection plans instead of automatic safeguards. This change, formalized on July 14, 2026, allows companies to seek exemptions for development projects that may impact these species, while also requiring officials to consider economic impacts when determining critical habitats. Currently, no new species have been added to the endangered or threatened lists during Trump’s second term, although over 20 were added in his first term, and about 30 species are proposed for listing as threatened.