WASHINGTON, D.C. (RFD-TV) — The White House is now preparing to restore an Endangered Species Act (ESA) rule from the first Trump Administration. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has filed paperwork to eliminate the ESA’s blanket rule, which automatically extends protections to newly listed threatened species. It is currently at the center of a lawsuit claiming the rule is too vague.
The Administration also aims to reinstate Trump-era rules on critical habitat determinations, listing, and delisting rehabilitated species. Opponents argue that these changes promote drilling, mining, and logging at the expense of habitats.
However, agricultural lawmakers like Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-WA, have been calling for ESA reform, arguing that the law has deviated from its original intent. If successful, the Administration will need to develop regulations tailored to each endangered species.
Several groups that depend on public land are urging lawmakers to proceed cautiously. This comes as officials seek better ways to manage activities such as grazing. At the heart of the debate is a law nearly 50 years old that former wildlife director Greg Sheehan believes should be updated more regularly.
“What do we know about rare earth minerals we didn’t know then, and maybe where they are?” Sheehan explained. “What do we know about some of these habitats that are used, shared by wildlife, wild horses, and livestock communities? Do we need to revisit that? What do we know that is different now, about uses that many have an interest in putting in renewable energy on public lands? How has recreation changed? You look at the vehicle. In 1983, you didn’t have side-by-sides and maybe not even hardly four-wheelers, right? And now they are quite prevalent. So, if we can’t address updating these plans on some regular basis, it’s going to be very, very difficult to move forward.”
Sheehan, now the president of the Mule Deer Foundation, said he hopes for a planning system that is collaborative, science-based, and adaptable for those who rely on public lands.
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