On August 12, the Trump administration announced significant and potentially devastating changes to the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
Leading up to the changes, the US Fish and Wildlife Service invited public feedback, but went ahead in spite of receiving more than 800,000 public comments and letters signed by a variety of U.S. representatives and senators. Ten states and more than 30 tribal nations also publicly opposed the changes.
Within hours of the announcement, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra both announced plans to sue.
“By gutting key components of the Endangered Species Act, one of our country’s most successful environmental laws, the Trump Administration is putting our most imperiled species and our vibrant local tourism and recreation industries at risk,” Healey said in a statement. “We will be taking the Administration to court to defend federal law and protect our rare animals, plants, and the environment.”
Many other conservationists, organizations, and political and public figures are expected to join the fight against the changes.
“This decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) eliminates many essential conservation tools that have protected imperiled species and their habitats for decades,” said Cathy Liss, president of the Animal Welfare Institute. “With this drastic revision of core components of the ESA, the current administration is favoring industry at the expense of vulnerable wildlife.”
What are the changes?
- Historically, threatened species have received the same levels of protection as endangered species. If the changes go ahead next month as expected, these protections will be significantly weakened.
- Previously, economic factors couldn’t be disclosed or considered as part of the decision to protect a species. With the forthcoming changes, the cost of preserving a species becomes part of the equation.
- Under the existing ESA, land that vulnerable species historically occupied or might require in the future is protected. Now, these areas may be opened up to development, or industries such as mining.
- Climate change will become less relevant. Previously, animals such as the polar bear have been protected due to predictions regarding the loss of sea ice thanks to global warming. Now, officials call this kind of scientific modeling “unpredictable.”
“They’re trying to make it difficult, if not impossible, to protect unoccupied habitat,” said Rebecca Riley, legal director for nature programs at the Natural Resources Defense Council. “We know climate change is going to force animals to move to new habitats.”
About the Endangered Species Act
The ESA was instigated in 1973 and is responsible for preventing the extinction of 99 percent of the 1650 species it has protected.
The bald eagle, California condor, humpback whale, grizzly bear, and American alligator are still around today thanks to this act.
In May this year, the United Nations released a report on world biodiversity, stating that one million plant and animal species are on the brink of extinction. Their survival is our survival; the earth is at breaking point, and these changes to the ESA are nothing short of criminal.
We applaud the organizations and individuals who are determined to fight for our environment and we will do everything in our power to support them.
What’s New…
Endangered animals need protecting
I like many oppose the weakening of the ESA. The act put in place to protect endangered and threatened species. Instead it needs to be stronger because. Many species when they thrive. Are removed from the list making them fair game.
This is why this Act should be improved. Not cutback.
To begin with this man Trump has no empathy for any animals. Haven’t you seen his older 2 sons who have the same cruel & unempathetic outlook towards the animals on this planet. Those 2 jerks went to Africa to murder the precious animals simply because they can. (Apple does not fall far from it’s tree) Trump has no any other important agenda to attain & he is now putting his nose into such matters to make the peaceful environmental issue to a very complicated situation.
Please when the next election comes send this man home. Enough is enough.
Why on earth with all of the problems in the world would Trump take the time to get involved in lifting the sanctions on the endangered species – what in the hell is the matter with him anyways? I think we all know that he has no love for animals of any kind and so be it – but that doesn’t give him the god given right to start attempting to get rid of all of the work done by so many people and groups to save these animals – why destroy all of that – why – just so your idiot friends can all go “trophy” hunting in fenced off areas?????????? Put the bans back on place and find some other god damn issue to involve yourself with that makes more sense than this does. Wake up for God sakes – you don’t own the f*cking planet!!!
You did not so much as even take notice of the number of signatures on petitions – just your pushed your own desires in front of everything else. You are as ignorant as the idiot we have here in Canada. This one here thinks it is great that we ship live horses from Edmonton Airport directly to Japan for slaughter for human consumption – just another piece of f*cking work!!! These politicians all seem to have their heads up their asses and I guess because none of this comes close to home for them because they just don’t give a shit about anything – what a SAD WORLD!!!
One million plant and animal species are on the brink of extinction. Their survival is our survival; the earth is at breaking point, and these changes to the ESA are nothing short of criminal. Please reverse the new changes to save current and future generations of all life to survive and thrive.
Our environment & animals need to be protected and safe.
What a terrible change to make. We need to have that protection law re-established to protect our species
I care about the preservation and protection of all wildlife, and their habitats, especially endangered species. We are all in this together.
It’s time for more protections, not less! Do not gut the Endangered Species Act!
We can stop this.
One of the obligations and responsibilities of the government is to conserve, maintain and protect wildlife including natural parks and forests. If that cannot be done then we have to change the government. We must find viable solutions so that wildlife remains a priority!
Cruelty for the sake of cruelty says more about you than it does about sane, humane people. When this isn’t enough, will you move on to experimenting on your family or strangers?
American’t do the right thing for the Protection of it’s wildlife or land. Shame on the Government and the people who work there
Trump is the most evil, vicious, hateful, and egotistical moron ever. He does nothing but cause harm to animals and the humans who are seeking protection from their country‘s brutality. Why on earth would that clown want to destroy the Endangered Species Act then perceives it to go unchallenged? But what amazes me now is to hear that only 2 states, California and Massachusetts, plan to sue him. Where are the others that supposedly care for these endangered and almost extinct animals? I sure hope that Trump is voted out and a more capable and coherent individual, democrat or republican, will be elected. Maybe, just maybe that person could reverse most of the damage Trump has done to our country, democracy, animals and the environment.
We MUST protect our wildlife!!!
Humans again out of control!!!
Trump’s sons want to start killing?
We don’t want them killed.
Animal lovers will not vote for this
Trump is not doing enough to preserve the the planet or protecting animals evidently he’s not getting it so remember this the next time around there’s a lot of animal supporters out there Trump we will put people in office to protect them
Acts such as the Endangered Species Act are in place for a reason. As the name implies, the aforementioned act is in place to protect endangered species. To remove such protections would be devastating to those lives that already have little chance of survival otherwise. As such, the Environment Species Act must be reinstated and kept intact as much as possible, lest the lives under its protection be lost entirely and forever. To allow the extinction of a species due to inaccurate, and indeed removed, protections is in and of itself immoral and unethical. It cannot and should not be allowed. The lives protected under the Act deserve such protection. Their lives matter and are important, too.
Acts such as the Endangered Species Act are in place for a reason. As the name implies, the aforementioned act is in place to protect endangered species. To remove such protections would be devastating to those lives that already have little chance of survival otherwise. As such, the Environment Species Act must be reinstated and kept intact as much as possible, lest the lives under its protection be lost entirely and forever. To allow the extinction of a species due to inaccurate, and indeed removed, protections is in and of itself immoral and unethical. It cannot and should not be allowed. The lives protected under the Act deserve such protection. Their lives matter and are important, too.
Trump is causing more damage every day. How is it they can’t see it? Are they THAT afraid of losing their precious jobs? What happened to principle? And conscience?
We need to save the Endangered Species Act! The POTUS needs to know how important this is!!
Disgusting and evil!
The Galarneau family is appalled
Hiss and boo and that’s being kind.
Wait until he starts selling off public land and parks which he clearly has his sights on. He has already made a deal with the Alaskan governor to start copper and gold mining on Bristol Bay Alaska near the largest fishery for wild sockeye salmon globally. It was never meant to be made public, but it leaked out. It was all done on the sly like so many of his destructive policies. However, they are very close to closing this deal. One great big swamp.
Trump the inbreed president of a country that was never great never will be great.Does this kind of fucking shit his son likes to hunt hopefuly he dies at the paws and fangs of a lion.
TRUMP DOES NOT CARE ABOUT ANIMALS OR THE ENVIRONMENT, THANK YOU TO CALIFORNIA & MASSACHUSETTS FOR TAKING A STAND FOR WILDLIFE!
Thank you California & Massachusetts for taking a stand against this senseless decision by the president.
Thank you California & Massachusetts for taking a stand against this senseless decision by the president.
The Trump Administration I hope will reconsider the changes being made to the ESA. The endangered species need to be protected. Please don’t destroy the animals, plants and the environment.
No animal deserves to be torture n abuse like this!! Poor little pup, if was up to me he would be in jail for 50 years!!!!!!
Only twit Trump would do this..he has no consideration and compassion for anything ..he is a danger to all living things, be they human or animal..please dont allow him to do this..this program must be allowed to continue to protect endangered animals
US Fish and Wildlife are nothing but a bunch of low IQ idiots…over 800K letters etc, and they still move ahead like a bunch of nomads. Wonder when the last time they had sight examinations or evaluations of incompetence!!
Ever since trump has been in office this country has fallen he seems to destroy life itself there are many things he does that others approve of but the environment is a issue here as wildlife is he seems to not care about the environment to not want to stop law breakers from committing acts that are criminal upon our wildlife and endangered species they help the environment so why kill them off shame on the trump administration for killing our environment we need not need 4 more years of this change is what we need here