Biden Administration Revives Threatened Species Protection Rules, Undoing Trump Rollbacks

By John Lopez

Mar 28, 2024 04:24 PM EDT

The Biden administration has recently taken significant steps to restore protections for threatened plants and animals that were pushed back during the Trump era.

Biden Restores Threatened Species Protection Rules

Under the new rules announced on Thursday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will reinstate a crucial regulation requiring blanket protections for species newly classified as threatened. AP reports that this move aims to expedite conservation efforts, eliminating the need for time-consuming individual plans for each species.

Economic impacts will no longer be considered when deciding if animals and plants require protection. The rules will also streamline the process of designating critical areas for species survival, even if the species is no longer found in those locations.

US-POLITICS-BIDEN-ENVIRONMENT — US President Joe Biden walks to the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on March 21, 2023, after speaking at the White House Conservation in Action Summit at the Department of the Interior. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP)
(Photo : Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

Environmentalists Approve the Latest Move

While the proposal may take up to a year to finalize, environmentalists express relief at restoring some essential protections. However, concerns linger over the possibility of a new Republican administration after the 2024 election, which could reverse these measures.

Republican lawmakers oppose the rules, arguing they hinder development in oil, gas, and coal industries. Industry groups have long viewed the Endangered Species Act as an obstacle to progress.

The Trump administration's previous rollbacks weakened regulations and protections under the Endangered Species Act, impacting species like the northern spotted owl and gray wolves. However, decisions like weakening protections for the spotted owl were reversed in 2021 due to faulty science.

The Endangered Species Act, signed into law by President Richard Nixon, has saved more than 200 species from extinction, including the bald eagle and California condor. Currently, it safeguards over 1,600 species across the United States and its territories.

The Biden administration's restoration of threatened species protection rules marks a significant shift in environmental policy.