Trump admin seeks to curtail reach of ESA protections

By Michael Doyle | 04/16/2025 01:27 PM EDT

The Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries want to change what it means to “harm” protected wildlife.

A northern spotted owl flies after an elusive mouse jumping off the end of a stick.

A northern spotted owl, which is considered threatened under the Endangered Species Act, flies after an elusive mouse jumping off the end of a stick in the Deschutes National Forest near Camp Sherman, Oregon, on May 8, 2003. Don Ryan/AP

The Trump administration launched its campaign to shrink Endangered Species Act protections Wednesday by proposing to curb what it means to “harm” wildlife so that the law would exclude modification of habitats.

The redefinition of “harm” by the Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries would confine the notion of hurting wildlife to actions against the species in question. The potentially far-reaching move sidelines a 1995 Supreme Court decision and upends a decadeslong practice across both Republican and Democratic administration.

The proposal also kick-starts what’s going to be a heated debate.

The Interior Department, the FWS and NOAA Fisheries did not provide additional comment beyond the upcoming 11-page Federal Register notice. Others were quick to join the fray.

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