New rules put endangered species on the chopping block

We saved the bald eagle from extinction. The next endangered species might not be so lucky.

We saved the bald eagle from extinction. The next endangered species might not be so lucky.

On Aug. 12, the Trump administration announced new rules governing enforcement of the Endangered Species Act. The changes would make it easier to remove species from the endangered list, weaken protections for species on the threatened list, and allow regulators to consider economic factors such as the potential loss of business revenue when deciding whether or not a species should be granted protection.

“Sea otters, polar bears and all threatened species are getting pushed closer to extinction as a result of these new rules,” said Steve Blackledge, senior director of our national network’s Conservation program. “Our wildlife deserve better.”

Last year, Environment America and our national network collected tens of thousands of public comments opposing this plan, and we’re working in the halls of Congress, as well as in state capitals around the country, to defend America’s wildlife.

Read more.

Photo: The bald eagle is among the species that the Endangered Species Act allowed us to save from extinction. Credit: Mick Thompson via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)

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