US states sue Trump administration for weakening endangered species protections
The states say the rules let development damage habitats and strip automatic protections from newly threatened species, weakening safeguards for more than 1,600 species.
- On Wednesday, a coalition of 21 attorneys general from Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia filed two lawsuits against the Trump administration, alleging it illegally weakened the Endangered Species Act to facilitate development.
- The Interior Department stated the reform aligns with the Supreme Court's 2024 decision in Loper Bright v. Raimondo, claiming agencies must follow the single best meaning of statutes rather than contort laws for political agendas.
- Plaintiffs specifically challenge three rule changes: a narrowed definition of "harm," removal of automatic protections for newly listed threatened species, and a new critical habitat process allowing agencies to prioritize economic impacts.
- Washington Attorney General Nick Brown argued the changes threaten orca and sockeye salmon habitats, while California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the administration chooses "extraction, exploitation and profiteering over protection and preservation."
- Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, the lawsuits seek to block the new rules, citing a 2019 study showing the Endangered Species Act has prevented 99% of protected species from extinction.
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Reality Tea
MandatoryDonald Trump Administration Hit With 2 Major Lawsuits From 20 States
Donald Trump‘s administration is facing two lawsuits over changes to endangered species protections. Twenty states and Washington, D.C., joined the legal challenges, accusing the administration of weakening federal environmental protections. The cases focus on changes to the Endangered Species Act. Twenty states and Washington, DC are suing the Trump administration over changes to Endangered Species […]
States Challenge Trump Administration Over Endangered Species Act Changes
Several U.S. states have filed lawsuits against the Trump administration, accusing it of weakening the Endangered Species Act. The lawsuits argue that new rules make it easier for developers to encroach on habitats, potentially harming endangered wildlife. Environmentalists and state attorneys advocate for stronger protections.
Bay News 9
Spectrum News 13Attorneys general coalition sues Trump admin over Endangered Species Act
In two separate lawsuits, they contend the federal government illegally altered rules that weaken protections for threatened and endangered species.
Hawaii joins 19 states suing Trump over endangered species rules | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
U.S. states, including Hawaii, filed two lawsuits today accusing President Donald Trump’s administration of illegally weakening the federal Endangered Species Act, a landmark law that has shielded the bald eagle and other wildlife from dangers posed by development.
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