Trump Administration Continues Relentless Rollbacks of the Endangered Species Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Trump administration has proposed yet another rollback to the Endangered Species Act during the last days of the administration. The rollback comes on the heels of actions in recent weeks stripping protections from gray wolves and migratory birds, and gutting critical habitat protections for endangered and threatened species. The latest proposal would allow the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service to dodge upfront analysis of the cumulative impacts of individual agency actions allowed under their management plans on newly listed species and newly designated critical habitat. It would also allow the agencies to avoid considering how new information that comes in after a plan is finalized bears on the total impacts of an agency action -- even if that information shows harm from the action will be worse than initially thought. 

In response, Sierra Club Endangered Species Representative Bonnie Rice issued the following statement. 

“In the face of the first human-caused mass extinction, it is more important than ever to fully consider what the total, cumulative  impacts of land use plans are on endangered and threatened species rather than irresponsibly moving closer to the brink of a species’ extinction with each individual project. Basing decisions on politics instead of science, stripping protections for critical habitat, allowing species to get to the brink of extinction without proper consideration of agency actions -- with each rollback the Trump administration is willfully accelerating the extinction crisis. 

“We look forward to a new administration, a return to science, rationality, and urgent action to protect the Earth’s biodiversity and restoration of endangered species protections, including through conserving 30% of lands and waters in the U.S. by 2030.”