Trump Plans to Weaken the Endangered Species Act.

The article focuses on proposed changes by the Trump Administration to the 1973 Endangered Species Act, which experts warn could weaken protections for around 1,300 endangered species and their habitats in the U.S. The Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service have proposed four rules, including eliminating the automatic protections for all threatened species and allowing economic considerations in habitat decisions. Conservation experts argue these revisions could lead to habitat destruction and increased risk of extinction, while legal scholars anticipate challenges, particularly regarding the proposal to factor economic impacts into species listings, which the original law prohibits. Public comments on the proposals are open for 30 days.