Don't Gut the Endangered Species Act

The Trump administration has proposed new rules that would severely weaken the Endangered Species Act, our nation’s bedrock law for preventing extinction. These changes would strip automatic protections from newly listed “threatened” species, leaving vulnerable wildlife exposed to killing, trapping, and habitat destruction just when they most need protection. Iconic animals like the Florida manatee, California spotted owl, Greater sage grouse, and monarch butterfly could be pushed even closer to the brink.

The proposals would also narrow what counts as “critical habitat” and invite economic considerations into decisions that should be based on science and the law. That means more leeway for polluters and developers to bulldoze, drill, and fragment the very places endangered species need to survive and recover.

The Endangered Species Act has saved the vast majority of listed species from extinction over its 50-year history, and polling shows most Americans—across party lines—support strong wildlife protections. Weakening this law now, in the middle of a global biodiversity crisis, is reckless and wrong.

Add your name to demand the administration immediately withdraw these proposed rules and keep the Endangered Species Act strong for wildlife, ecosystems, and future generations.