Endangered Species Act restored by federal judge after Trump-era weakening
Source: CNN
(CNN)A federal judge in California has overturned a 2019 Trump administration move to gut the landmark Endangered Species Act, vacating that administration's changes and restoring protections for hundreds of species. The move is a win for environmental and conservation groups and climate advocates. The restoration of the protections could also be a boon for climate groups that argue oil and gas drilling in certain areas could harm threatened wildlife. "The Court spoke for species desperately in need of comprehensive federal protections without compromise," Earthjustice attorney Kristen Boyles said in a statement.
"Threatened and endangered species do not have the luxury of waiting under rules that do not protect them." The Trump overhaul changed how the Fish and Wildlife Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration considered whether species qualify for federal protections. It could have significantly lengthened how long it takes for a species to become protected, which had the impact of taking a number of species out of consideration for protections. A coalition of environmental groups -- including Earthjustice and the Center for Biological Diversity -- and the state of California had sued the Biden administration to roll back the changes.
Last year, the Biden administration announced it planned to review and make changes to the actions taken under former president Donald Trump. But some environmental groups were frustrated at what they believed to be the current administration's slow pace. "Trump's gutting of endangered species protections should have been rescinded on day one of the Biden presidency," Noah Greenwald, endangered species director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement. "With today's court ruling, the Services can finally get on with the business of protecting and recovering imperiled species."
Boyles told CNN that the Biden administration's Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service had stopped working on their review and asked the California judge to send the rules back to the agencies without vacating them. We've been really frustrated with Fish and Wildlife Service," Boyles said. "They said that in June of last year, but they stopped. They didn't do any work. That's practically why this court order had to happen." In his decision, US District Judge for the Northern District of California Jon Tigar said the Biden administration has not "evinced any desire to keep the 2019 ESA Rules intact," making the decision to vacate the Trump rule an easy one.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/05/politics/judge-restores-endangered-species-act-climate/index.html
Good news!
wendyb-NC
(3,327 posts)pazzyanne
(6,556 posts)Lasher
(27,597 posts)But it's a victory for now.
to write something similar. Some horrible person will object and file a lawsuit I fear.
LT Barclay
(2,605 posts)current administration?
are right.
electric_blue68
(14,906 posts)BumRushDaShow
(129,063 posts)but hopefully some Appeals Court won't put a stay on the restoration at this point.
Prof. Toru Tanaka
(1,964 posts)was affected in a negative way.
The only "green" that matters to that fucker Trump is on a golf course and $$$. He is such a worthless, destructive, hateful POS.
OLDMDDEM
(1,575 posts)Are becoming endangered. Get rid of the assault rifles.
peppertree
(21,636 posts)They'll make hunting RINOs - and of course Democrats - legal "because it was done in medieval England by edict of so-and-so..."
peppertree
(21,636 posts)SergeStorms
(19,201 posts)open season on Spotted Owls, Florida Panthers, Manatees, Sea Turtles, Condors etc.
You know, so those brave hunters can have a leg or flipper mounted and hanging on their wall. They'll leave the rest of the carcass to rot on the ground. They call it a "sport". Only if the animals are equally armed would it be a "sport".