After three years of planning and navigating the slow bureaucracy of federal rulemaking, the Biden administration is restoring a series of protections for at-risk plants and animals that had been relaxed under President Donald J. Trump.
The rule, proposed last year and now finalized, gives federal officials more discretion to protect species in a changing climate. Restart protections for endangered animals, one step short of protecting them from extinction. We clarify that decisions on whether to list a species should be made without considering economic factors.
This event was held as countries around the world struggle to deal with the biodiversity crisis that has arisen as humans change the Earth.
“As species face new and difficult challenges, including climate change, degraded and fragmented habitats, invasive species, and wildlife diseases, the Endangered Species Act is more important than ever to conserve and restore imperiled species for current and future generations. It’s important,” Martha said. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Williams announced the final rule in conjunction with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Fisheries Service. “These revisions underscore our commitment to using all tools available to help halt and stabilize population declines of our most at-risk species.”
Republicans and industry groups strongly criticized the initial proposal and are expected to do the same in the final version. Rep. Bruce Westerman, an Arkansas Republican who leads the Natural Resources Committee, criticized the Biden administration on Thursday for “undoing important reforms and issuing new regulations that do not benefit listed species.” I did.
The rule is expected to spark new lawsuits.
“The Endangered Species Act restrictions imposed are particularly harmful to our farmer/rancher members who make their living through access to and use of natural resources,” the Nevada Farm Bureau Federation wrote in an op-ed. Proposed changes. Opposition has been voiced by the oil and gas industry, foresters and state governments that want more control over wildlife management.
Conor Bernstein, vice president of communications for the National Mining Association, said his group supports the conservation goals of the Endangered Species Act, but the law places unnecessary restrictions on development and creates regulatory uncertainty. I said I would.
On the other hand, environmental groups have been eagerly awaiting changes to Trump-era regulations, but there has been much criticism of the Biden administration leaving some provisions in place.
“This government is reinstating some very important rules for endangered species,” said Mike Leahy, senior director of the National Wildlife Federation. “But given all the threats they face, we would like to see them restore more protections so they can’t dismantle critical habitat piece by piece or ignore past damage to this species.”
Leahy said rules protecting endangered species are especially important because Congress has not provided the funding federal, state and tribal biologists need to recover species.
The Endangered Species Act, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, evokes both praise and disgust. Those who prioritize environmental health and the protection of America's wildlife see this law as a landmark law that has saved unknown species from extinction. Others criticize it for discouraging economic activity and trampling on state and individual rights.
During the Trump administration, officials weakened the law, rolling back protections for animals classified as threatened and allowing regulators to conduct economic assessments when determining whether a species needs protection. Environmental groups have argued that such assessments cannot influence such decisions.
The Biden administration has previously rolled back Trump-era changes related to defining habitat for endangered animals.
During the public comment period on the new rule, officials received approximately 468,000 comments from a variety of groups, including those representing various industries, environmental advocates, states, and tribes.
Some comments came from individuals, such as Carol Ellis of Spokane, Washington, who wrote in support of strengthening the law. “We humans are causing the sixth extinction!” she wrote “Meet science.”
Lisa Friedman contributed to the report.