'Makes Zero Sense': Coastal Carolina University Professor Reacts to Endangered Species Act Changes

Wildlife advocacy group sues over Trump rollback of endangered species protections

A decades-old wildlife protection law is facing a major challenge in court.

'Makes zero sense': Coastal Carolina University professor reacts to Endangered Species Act changes

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) -- A biology professor at Coastal Carolina University is expressing concerns about recent revisions to the 1973 Endangered Species Act, which were finalized last week by the Trump administration. Professor John Hutchens fears the changes could create a significant setback for wildlife conservation efforts by altering protections for critical habitats. The [...]

Conservationists worry Endangered Species Act changes could threaten recovery efforts

The red-cockaded woodpecker seeks out mature longleaf pine trees to build its home. (Renee Bodine/USFWS)The continuous rattle of a red-cockaded woodpecker’s bill against a pine tree used to be a much more common sound throughout Louisiana forests. The plucky bird makes its home by burrowing into the hearts of longleaf pine trees, and the sound of its repeated efforts to make a home for its young was once nearly ubiquitous across the region. Long…

Endangered Species Modernization and Genetic Rescue Will Flip The Script On Conservation %

This week, a reptile from the Florida Keys was added to the endangered species list. The Mole Skink may have a better chance of survival due to recent changes in regulations and an improved scientific landscape. The 50-year era of “don’t-touch” conservation may have ended three weeks ago, after the Trump administration narrowed the definition of harm under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Harming an endangered species used to encompass damage t…

New effort will get genome sequences for entire Endangered Species list

Read the full story at Ars Technica. The US Endangered Species Act compels the government to identify species at risk of extinction and devise plans to restore populations and the habitats they depend on. It has seen some spectacular successes, such as the restoration of the bald eagle to much of its original range. But … Continue reading New effort will get genome sequences for entire Endangered Species list