Trump administration seeks to roll back protections for imperiled species and habitat

BILLINGS, Mont. — President Trump's administration moved Wednesday to roll back protections for imperiled species and the places they live, reviving a suite of changes to Endangered Species Act regulations from the Republican's first term that were blocked under former Democratic President Joe Biden.

The proposed changes include the elimination of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's "blanket rule" that automatically protects animals and plants when they are classified as threatened. Government agencies instead would have to craft species-specific rules for protections, a potentially lengthy process.

The administration's announcement answers longstanding calls for revisions to the Endangered Species Act from Republicans in Congress and industries including oil and gas, mining and agriculture. Critics argue the landmark 1973 environmental law has been wielded too broadly, to the detriment of economic growth.

But environmentalists warned the changes could cause yearslong delays in efforts to save species such as the monarch butterfly, Florida manatee, California spotted owl and North American wolverine.

https://www.npr.org/2025/11/19/g-s1-98459/trump-administration-endangered-species-act-blanket-rule