Trump rolls back Endangered Species Act, removes habitat protections of at-risk animals

Washington, December 17 (RHC)-- With just over one month left in his presidency, Donald Trump is gutting the Endangered Species Act by rolling back habitat protections for at-risk species, including grizzly bears, whooping cranes and Pacific salmon.  

The new rule narrows the definition of “habitat” to areas where species currently live, but not those where animals might move to because of the climate crisis or areas where they have previously lived that could be restored. 

The policy group Environment America said in a statement: “Animals that have already lost so much of the land they once roamed. Now they face an uphill climb from competition with invasive species, the effects of global warming, and the lack of genetic exchange between fractured habitats.  

This new rule ratchets up the danger, making even modest recovery efforts unworkable for many species that have already been decimated by human development.”