{"id":35095,"date":"2025-05-19T13:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-19T17:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.endangered.org\/?p=35095"},"modified":"2025-08-05T12:15:56","modified_gmt":"2025-08-05T16:15:56","slug":"trumps-change-of-esa-definition-of-harm-is-a-disaster-for-at-risk-species","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.endangered.org\/trumps-change-of-esa-definition-of-harm-is-a-disaster-for-at-risk-species\/","title":{"rendered":"Over 150,000 Americans Oppose Trump Administration\u2019s Unprecedented Effort to Eliminate Habitat Protections for Vulnerable Wildlife"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Scientists, legal experts, and environmental groups also urge Trump administration to drop proposed rule<\/em><\/h3>\n

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WASHINGTON D.C.<\/b> \u2014 Over 150,000 Americans have opposed a proposed rulemaking by the Trump administration to eliminate major habitat protections for endangered species in the U.S. after it was unveiled in April \u2014 and as the period for public input concludes today. The proposed rule would rescind the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service\u2019s and National Marine Fisheries Service\u2019s definitions of what counts as illegal \u201charm\u201d to threatened and endangered wildlife under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).<\/p>\n

\u201cHarm\u201d is currently defined to include significant habitat modification that kills or injures species by removing necessities such as food and shelter. The current definition of \u201charm\u201d is an important tool for habitat conservation that has been in place for over 40 years and was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1995.<\/p>\n

It has been integral to the ESA\u2019s role in saving more than 99 percent of species under its protection including the bald eagle, Florida manatee, gray wolf, and many other iconic American wildlife. Even with the incredible success of the ESA, over 90 percent of listed species remain threatened by human-caused habitat destruction. If anything, the case for habitat protection under the ESA has grown even stronger over the years, with mountains of scientific evidence linking habitat and species\u2019 survival.<\/p>\n

The ESA was passed by Congress in 1973 with virtually unanimous bipartisan support. The lawmakers behind the ESA knew that scientists \u2014 not politicians \u2014 should decide whether vulnerable animal and plant species should be protected. In their spirit, three U.S. senators have officially demanded that the Trump administration explain how it came to its determination to eliminate habitat protections for U.S. wildlife and to answer whether industry influence was involved.<\/p>\n

Additionally, a group of the nation\u2019s leading scientists and experts on wildlife sent a letter to the Trump administration urging it to abandon the proposed rule, which the scientists state \u201clacks any scientific basis and misinterprets the Endangered Species Act.\u201d And 25 legal scholars expressed \u201cvehement opposition\u201d to the proposed rule in a letter to the administration. The outpouring of public opposition to the proposed rule change is no surprise. Over 80 percent of Americans support the ESA. Most Americans know how important conserving habitats, lands, and waters are to our everyday lives and that protecting them should be a national priority. The stakes aren\u2019t limited to wildlife \u2014 when ecosystems degrade, people suffer from threats to clean water, food security, and public health.<\/p>\n

In response to the tens of thousands of Americans who are calling on the Trump administration to abandon its effort to eliminate habitat protections for vulnerable wildlife, 131 environmental and animal welfare groups from across the country issued the following statements:<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\u201cThese are not the challenges the species is currently facing. The number one threat today is habitat loss, wherever they are found, including their wintering and breeding ranges. Without habitat protection, this species, and countless more, will go extinct.\u201d \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Kristen\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKristen Boyles, Earthjustice<\/span>Attorney<\/span><\/cite>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\u201cWildlife cannot survive without habitat \u2014 that\u2019s not opinion, that\u2019s biology,\" said Josh Osher, public policy director for Western Watersheds Project. \"This proposed rule is an industry-crafted blueprint for extinction, designed to let corporations destroy the very ground endangered species stand on, while pretending no harm is being done.\u201d\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Josh Osher<\/span>Public Policy Director for Western Watersheds Project <\/span><\/cite>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\u201cLoving wildlife is baked into our national heritage. Americans are very proud that our nation has prioritized conserving birds, fish and other wildlife that make our country so special,\u201d said Ramona McGee, leader of the Southern Environmental Law Center\u2019s Wildlife Program. \u201cHere in the South, the stakes are much higher because of our world-renowned biodiversity, which is increasingly at risk from human-made factors like habitat destruction from unchecked, harmful development. It is unconscionable that our leaders are unnecessarily attempting to remove vital wildlife and habitat protections to placate extractive industries.\u201d\u202f\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Ramona\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRamona McGee<\/span>Leader of the Southern Environmental Law Center\u2019s Wildlife Program<\/span><\/cite>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\u201cThis nonstarter proposal ignores critical conservation provisions in a law that supports America\u2019s most at-risk fish, wildlife, and plant populations, including over 600 species with habitat in our national parks,\u201d said Christina Hazard, legislative director for the National Parks Conservation Association. \u201cWhen food sources, nesting grounds or mating grounds are lost outside of national park boundaries, park wildlife will be lost as well.\u201d\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tChristina Hazard<\/span>Legislative Director for the National Parks Conservation Association.<\/span><\/cite>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\u201cHabitat integrity is among the most significant determinants of species\u2019 survival; this rule change would jeopardize imperiled animals and entire ecosystems,\u201d said Danielle Kessler, US Country Director at the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). \u201cEffective, science-driven implementation of the Endangered Species Act\u2013including habitat protection\u2013benefits animals and people alike.\u201d\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDanielle Kessler<\/span>US Country Director at the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)<\/span><\/cite>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"The Trump administration is attempting to dismantle and discredit one of America's most popular and successful laws,\" said Sierra Weaver, senior attorney at Defenders of Wildlife. \"The current definition of 'harm' is a large part of what has made the ESA so effective at conserving imperiled species. This isn't just redefining one word \u2014 it is gutting the heart of the Act. It will have cataclysmic consequences to the habitats, lands and waters that America's wildlife relies upon, and goes against Congress' intent for the law.\"\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSierra Weaver<\/span>Senior Attorney at Defenders of Wildlife<\/span><\/cite>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Extinction is forever,\" says Katherine Miller, Country Director for FOUR PAWS USA. \"If we allow the ESA to be weakened and species' habitats to be destroyed for profit, the consequences of these decisions will reverberate for generations. Science has shown that protecting a listed species' habitat is vital to their survival and recovery. This is why we urge FWS and NMFS to withdraw their proposed rule and uphold America\u2019s commitment to save endangered species, ensuring a livable planet for all of us.\"\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKatherine Miller<\/span>Country Director for FOUR PAWS USA<\/span><\/cite>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\u201cLoss of habitat is the number one reason species become endangered,\u201d said Susan Holmes, Executive Director of the Endangered Species Coalition. \u201cTrump\u2019s draconian proposal to end habitat protection for our most vulnerable wildlife rips out the heart of the Endangered Species Act and would put countless species on the path to extinction.\u201d\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSusan Holmes<\/span>Executive Director of the Endangered Species Coalition<\/span><\/cite>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"The Services' proposal shows they are not serious about protecting imperiled species,\u201d said Rebecca Riley, managing director for Food & Agriculture at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council). \"Habitat destruction is the number one threat to species' survival, and yet they are coming up with weak excuses to claim Congress didn't intend to address this existential threat.\u201d\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Rebecca Riley<\/span>Managing Director for Food & Agriculture at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council)<\/span><\/cite>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\u201cTrump\u2019s smash-and-grab habitat plan could welcome bulldozers and drilling rigs into the beautiful wild places that America\u2019s most imperiled animals call home,\u201d said Tara Zuardo, a senior campaigner at the Center for Biological Diversity. \u201cThe administration\u2019s proposal seeks to rip a bloody hole in the Endangered Species Act, prioritizing industry profits over protecting habitat that\u2019s crucial to preventing extinction. This is an illegal attempt to nullify a landmark wildlife law that\u2019s supported by nearly every American who isn\u2019t an oil executive, a timber baron or a Trump appointee.\u201d\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTara Zuardo<\/span>Senior Campaigner at the Center for Biological Diversity<\/span><\/cite>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\u201cPiping Plovers were set on a path to extinction due to millinery and hunting at the turn of the 19th century,\u201d said Chris Allieri, founder and executive director, NYC Plover Project. \u201cThese are not the challenges the species is currently facing. The number one threat today is habitat loss, wherever they are found, including their wintering and breeding ranges. Without habitat protection, this species, and countless more, will go extinct.\u201d\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tChris Allieri<\/span>Founder and Executive Director, NYC Plover Project<\/span><\/cite>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\u00a0<\/p>\n

“Tens of thousands of Americans have rejected the Trump administration’s callous effort to steal habitat away from our endangered species,\u201d said Earthjustice attorney Kristen Boyles<\/strong>. \u201cTrump’s proposed rule recklessly ignores common sense and common science. We’ll do all that we can to ensure vulnerable wildlife continue to have a livable habitat and a chance at survival.”<\/p>\n

\u201cWildlife cannot survive without habitat \u2014 that\u2019s not opinion, that\u2019s biology,” said Josh Osher, public policy director for Western Watersheds Project<\/strong>. “This proposed rule is an industry-crafted blueprint for extinction, designed to let corporations destroy the very ground endangered species stand on, while pretending no harm is being done.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLoving wildlife is baked into our national heritage. Americans are very proud that our nation has prioritized conserving birds, fish and other wildlife that make our country so special,\u201d said Ramona McGee, leader of the Southern Environmental Law Center\u2019s Wildlife Program<\/strong>. \u201cHere in the South, the stakes are much higher because of our world-renowned biodiversity, which is increasingly at risk from human-made factors like habitat destruction from unchecked, harmful development. It is unconscionable that our leaders are unnecessarily attempting to remove vital wildlife and habitat protections to placate extractive industries.\u201d\u202f<\/p>\n

\u201cThis nonstarter proposal ignores critical conservation provisions in a law that supports America\u2019s most at-risk fish, wildlife, and plant populations, including over 600 species with habitat in our national parks,\u201d said Christina Hazard, legislative director for the National Parks Conservation Association<\/strong>. \u201cWhen food sources, nesting grounds or mating grounds are lost outside of national park boundaries, park wildlife will be lost as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHabitat integrity is among the most significant determinants of species\u2019 survival; this rule change would jeopardize imperiled animals and entire ecosystems,\u201d said Danielle Kessler, US Country Director at the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)<\/strong>. \u201cEffective, science-driven implementation of the Endangered Species Act\u2013including habitat protection\u2013benefits animals and people alike.\u201d<\/p>\n

“The Trump administration is attempting to dismantle and discredit one of America’s most popular and successful laws,” said Sierra Weaver, senior attorney at Defenders of Wildlife<\/strong>. “The current definition of ‘harm’ is a large part of what has made the ESA so effective at conserving imperiled species. This isn’t just redefining one word \u2014 it is gutting the heart of the Act. It will have cataclysmic consequences to the habitats, lands and waters that America’s wildlife relies upon, and goes against Congress’ intent for the law.”<\/p>\n

“Extinction is forever,” says Katherine Miller, Country Director for FOUR PAWS USA<\/strong>. “If we allow the ESA to be weakened and species’ habitats to be destroyed for profit, the consequences of these decisions will reverberate for generations. Science has shown that protecting a listed species’ habitat is vital to their survival and recovery. This is why we urge FWS and NMFS to withdraw their proposed rule and uphold America\u2019s commitment to save endangered species, ensuring a livable planet for all of us.”<\/p>\n

\u201cLoss of habitat is the number one reason species become endangered,\u201d said Susan Holmes, Executive Director of the Endangered Species Coalition<\/strong>. \u201cTrump\u2019s draconian proposal to end habitat protection for our most vulnerable wildlife rips out the heart of the Endangered Species Act and would put countless species on the path to extinction.\u201d<\/p>\n

“The Services’ proposal shows they are not serious about protecting imperiled species,\u201d said Rebecca Riley, managing director for Food & Agriculture at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council)<\/strong>. “Habitat destruction is the number one threat to species’ survival, and yet they are coming up with weak excuses to claim Congress didn’t intend to address this existential threat.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTrump\u2019s smash-and-grab habitat plan could welcome bulldozers and drilling rigs into the beautiful wild places that America\u2019s most imperiled animals call home,\u201d said Tara Zuardo, a senior campaigner at the Center for Biological Diversity<\/strong>. \u201cThe administration\u2019s proposal seeks to rip a bloody hole in the Endangered Species Act, prioritizing industry profits over protecting habitat that\u2019s crucial to preventing extinction. This is an illegal attempt to nullify a landmark wildlife law that\u2019s supported by nearly every American who isn\u2019t an oil executive, a timber baron or a Trump appointee.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPiping Plovers were set on a path to extinction due to millinery and hunting at the turn of the 19th century,\u201d said Chris Allieri, founder and executive director, NYC Plover Project<\/strong>. \u201cThese are not the challenges the species is currently facing. The number one threat today is habitat loss, wherever they are found, including their wintering and breeding ranges. Without habitat protection, this species, and countless more, will go extinct.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\nScientists, legal experts, and environmental groups also urge Trump administration to drop proposed rule \u00a0 WASHINGTON D.C. \u2014 Over 150,000 Americans have opposed a proposed rulemaking by the Trump administration to eliminate major habitat protections for endangered species in the…\n<\/div>\n
Continue reading “Over 150,000 Americans Oppose Trump Administration\u2019s Unprecedented Effort to Eliminate Habitat Protections for Vulnerable Wildlife”<\/span>…<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":35096,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[52,53,56,45,74,837],"tags":[187,242,1029],"class_list":["post-35095","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-endangered-species-act","category-environment","category-us-fish-and-wildlife-service","category-endangered-species","category-department-of-the-interior","category-press-release","tag-endangered-species-act-2","tag-usfws","tag-department-of-the-interior","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nOver 150,000 Americans Oppose Trump Administration\u2019s Unprecedented Effort to Eliminate Habitat Protections for Vulnerable Wildlife - 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