Wildlife advocates are raising alarm over a new proposal from the Trump administration that would roll back protections for animals and plants newly classified as “threatened.”
Right now, species labeled as threatened automatically receive federal safeguards under the Endangered Species Act. But under the proposed changes, those automatic protections would no longer apply to new listings. Existing protections would stay in place for species already on the list, but future designations could lose out.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum framed the move as a return to the law’s original purpose.
“This administration is restoring the Endangered Species Act to its original intent, protecting species through clear, consistent, and lawful standards that also respect the livelihoods of Americans who depend on our land and resources,” he said. “These revisions end years of legal confusion and regulatory overreach, delivering certainty to states, tribes, landowners, and businesses while ensuring conservation efforts remain grounded in sound science and common sense.”
But conservationists say this opens the door to extinction for species that haven’t yet reached critical endangerment. “If these rules had been in place back in the 1970s, the bald eagle, the gray whale might not be around today,” said Stephanie Kurose of the Center for Biological Diversity. “This isn’t about protecting endangered species. This is about the biggest companies in the country wanting to drill for oil and dig coal.”
The proposal echoes similar efforts made during Trump’s previous term. Many of those changes were reversed by the Biden administration, but now the rollback conversation is back.
