Trump administration allows killing of species threatened with extinction

[Zorro]

Regulatory changes to reinterpret the Endangered Species Act also demand that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service consider the economic toll of habitat protection.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service could soon declare that pygmy rabbits or Florida manatees are threatened with extinction. But under a policy change issued by the Trump administration on Friday, Americans could still kill, trap and harass them.

That action — paired with another issued Friday that requires regulators to consider the economic toll of habitat protection — is part of President Donald Trump’s broad attempt to reinterpret the 1973 Endangered Species Act in ways that weaken protections for imperiled plants and animals.

In March, the administration convened the so-called God squad in a 15-minute session that decided oil and gas companies no longer need to abide by Endangered Species Act protections in the Gulf of Mexico. Last week, the administration repealed a decades-old rule so that habitat destruction will no longer be considered a “harm” to endangered species.

On Friday, the Fish and Wildlife Service rescinded what is known as the “blanket rule,” which was first instituted in 1975 and gave threatened species the same protections as endangered ones — broadly prohibiting illegally killing, trapping or harassing them.

The rollback would only apply to newly declared threatened species, such as the Florida manatee, whose case is still pending. Species that previously received the label would continue to have greater protections under the Endangered Species Act. Rescinding past protections or issuing new ones can now only be done for threatened species one at a time.

https://wapo.st/4wU5CyS

[biophile]

1. Of course they did

I expect nothing but the worst from any aspect or agency in this administration. Top to bottom. Wait, there is no bottom 😑

[The Madcap]

2. How about humans?

We're heading in that direction, day by day.

[2naSalit]

5. We did this...

And we deserve to go extinct.

[greatauntoftriplets]

3. Junior and Gums probably can't contain themselves at the news.

[ratchiweenie]

4. He's turning our country to shit.