Trump Administration Revives Controversial Changes to Endangered Species Act

Thu Nov 20 2025 00:22:11 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a notable policy shift, the Trump administration proposes to roll back protections for endangered species, raising concerns about the impact on conservation efforts.

The Trump administration announced plans to modify the Endangered Species Act, sparking outrage among environmentalists who warn that these changes could significantly delay protections for endangered species like the monarch butterfly and Florida manatee. The proposed elimination of automatic protections and focus on economic impacts could threaten years of conservation efforts, critics argue.

BILLINGS, Mont. (OnPoint) — The Trump administration has moved to reverse regulations that protect endangered species and the environments they inhabit, rekindling a set of adjustments to the Endangered Species Act that were previously blocked by President Joe Biden’s administration.

The proposed changes include eradicating the automatic protections for species newly classified as endangered, effectively delegating the responsibility to agencies to develop specific protective measures for each species, likely leading to extended delays in implementation.

Environmental advocates are apprehensive that these shifts could substantially hinder efforts to safeguard species such as the monarch butterfly, the Florida manatee, and the North American wolverine. Stephanie Kurose from the Center for Biological Diversity lamented, We would have to wait until these poor animals are almost extinct before we can start protecting them. That’s absurd and heartbreaking.

As worldwide extinctions continue to rise due to habitat destruction and other stresses, the Trump administration pushes ahead, claiming these updates restore the Endangered Species Act to its original framework while also addressing economic concerns from sectors like oil and agriculture.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stated that the proposals reflect a balance between conservation efforts and economic needs, highlighting that assessing economic impacts will now play a crucial role in determining what habitats are essential for species survival.

Critics from several sectors have long contended that the Endangered Species Act has been applied too broadly, leading to adverse effects on economic development. The revised proposals have reignited this debate, emphasizing the need to find a middle ground to accommodate both conservation goals and resource management.