ACT FOR ENDANGERED SPECIESF R E Q U E N T LY A S K E D Q U E S T I O N S

What did Trump just do to the Endangered Species Act? In August 2019 the Trump administration finalized three regulatory rollbacks that fundamentally alter key aspects of how to execute the Endangered Species Act.

The new regulations are an unprecedented weakening of protections for endangered species. Among other things they allow consideration of economic factors in decisions about whether species are listed as “threatened’ or “endangered” and strip newly listed threatened species of automatic protection. The new rules also weaken protection of species’ critical habitat and relax consultation standards that are meant to ensure federal agencies avoid jeopardizing species’ survival.

How bad is it? It’s unprecedented. Since the Endangered Species Act’s passage more than 40 years ago, this is the single most devastating attack we’ve ever seen on the Act. Much of what Trump has done not only violates the congressional intent behind the Endangered Species Act but also undermines some of the most important aspects of the law — those that have made it so incredibly successful.

Is it being fought in the courts? Absolutely. On Aug. 21, 2019 the Center for Biological Diversity and allies sued the Trump administration in federal court to put a halt to these new rules.

Our lawsuit makes key claims against the Trump administration’s new rules. The lawsuit argues the administration enacted regulations that run directly counter to the purpose of the Endangered Species Act: to save species from extinction. Adding consideration of economic factors to life-and-death scientific decisions about species’ survival, weakening standards for federal agencies to avoid jeopardizing species, and depriving species threatened by climate change of habitat protections cannot be squared with Congress’ intent to avoid further species extinctions.

The lawsuit also notes that the administration failed to publicly disclose and analyze the harms and impacts of the regulations, in violation of the National Environmental Policy Act, and cut the American people out of the decision-making process by including changes in the final regulations that were never made public or subject to public comment.

It’s the first set of claims in what will be a larger legal challenge, so stay tuned.

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How else can this be stopped? This fight is just getting started. The next step is getting Congress to step in. We’re urging the U.S. House of Representatives to pursue a bill that will halt Trump’s new rules. Congress has the right and the ability to make that happen — and it should.

What can I do? The most important thing you can do is get involved with our Act for Endangered Species campaign. In the coming weeks and months, we’ll be mobilizing people across the country to stand up and speak out to save the Endangered Species Act. This will be a multifaceted campaign focused on raising the visibility of this issue and creating public pressure to win real results. There is a path to win, and it requires combining people power with smart, fierce litigation and political pressure.

Are there more attacks coming on the Endangered Species Act? Yes. Trump administration officials are gearing up to do still more damage to the Act, including watering down protections for endangered species’ most important habitat. Polluting industries have been working on a wish list to gut the Act for years, and the Trump administration is all too eager to let them have their way.

Meanwhile the administration continues to reject petitions to protect endangered species. So far 60 species have been denied protection. The Trump administration is also actively working to take away species’ protections. Just days after his announced plans to decimate the Endangered Species Act, his administration said it would take away protections for Florida Key deer, even though there are just 800 to 1,000 of the animals left on Earth.

Trump’s administration is also finalizing a plan to end Endangered Species Act protection for nearly every wolf in the lower 48 states.

Why is the Endangered Species Act so important? The Endangered Species Act is the world’s most successful law aimed at saving animals and plants from extinction. There are more than 1,700 species under its protection — and 99 percent have been spared extinction by it.

Although the Act is famous for fostering the return of iconic species like the bald eagle, it has also been critical to the return and survival of gray wolves, grizzly bears, polar bears and sea turtles, as well as lesser-known (but equally important) birds, fish, flowers, butterflies and mollusks. The Act ensures that the wild remains wild, that rare species have a chance to survive, and that the diversity of nature remains intact in as many places as possible.

How successful is the Act?

No law has done more to save endangered species and put them on the road to recovery. For example:

• A 2019 peer-reviewed study by the Center found the Act has saved more than 99 percent of species under its protection.

• A 2016 analysis by the Center found that 85 percent of continental U.S. birds protected under the Act increased or stabilized their population size after they were protected. The average population increase was 624 percent.

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• In 2012 the Center analyzed 110 endangered species across all 50 states and found that 90 percent were recovering at the rate specified in their federal recovery plans — a sign that the Act is working as scientists said it would.

• In 2006 the Center looked at all federally protected species in the Northeast and found 93 percent were stabilized or improving since being put on the endangered species list, and 82 percent were on track to meet recovery goals.

Why does the Center for Biological Diversity care about this so much?

The Endangered Species Act is the heart of so much of the work we do. Over the past 30 years, we’ve secured protections for more than 600 animals and plants, as well as protection for more than half a billion acres of critical habitat.

Does the Endangered Species Act have strong public support? Yes. A national poll commissioned by the Center in 2013 found that 2 out of 3 Americans want the Endangered Species Act strengthened or left alone, but not weakened. More recent polls have found even greater support, with 9 out of 10 people polled supporting a strong Endangered Species Act.

General FAQ’s about the Center for Biological Diversity:

Who is the Center for Biological Diversity?

We are a nonprofit that uses science, litigation and people power to affect change in environmental policy to protect endangered species and the habitat they need to thrive since 1989.

Over the past 30 years, the Center for Biological Diversity has secured protection for more than 600 species and more than half a billion acres of wildlife habitat.

Questions about efficacy/ scope of work:

We are one of the most effective environmental organizations in the United States, with successful outcomes in more than 90% of our court cases. We have a reputation for being uncompromising in our defense of endangered species and the wild places they need to thrive

$.83 of every dollar donated to the Center to direct conservation work and keeping the smallest percentages possible going towards administration ($.08) and fundraising ($.09).

Our headquarters is in Tucson, but we work on environmental issues all across the country (we even have an office in La Paz, Mexico).

Off-topic question or something you have NO IDEA about:

Great question, I’m not sure! I’d recommend checking out the Center for Biological Diversity’s main website to see if there’s more info there: biologicaldiversity.org

ProtectSpecies.org

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