Biden Administration Moves To Reverse Two Trump-Era Rules In Bid To Protect Endangered Species

Biden Administration Moves To Reverse Two Trump-Era Rules In Bid To Protect Endangered Species

Share to Linkedin The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service have proposed rescinding two 2020 rules put in place by former President Donald Trump, a move that would allow the agencies more power to prevent development in endangered species' habitats, part of a larger White House effort to undo policies Trump passed during office. Reversing the decisions will allow the wildlife services to better enforce the Endangered Species Act of 1973, which set the framework to protect endangered species and their habitats, officials said in a statement Tuesday. One of the Trump-era policy changes allowed local governments to revoke habitat protections for endangered species if development could create more economic benefits. U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials said in 2020 the new guidelines allowed for more local government control over how land is used, but critics said it opened the door for private development that could harm the environment. The second Trump-era change outlined a strict, regulatory definition of the word "habitat" in environmental legislation, which critics said did not provide enough flexibility to allow for good environmental and climate change policy. The two proposed rollbacks are strictly aimed at reversing those Trump-era