July 10 (Reuters) – The Trump administration finalized a major change on Friday to how threatened species are considered in agency actions, removing regulatory language aimed at preventing damage to wildlife habitats and drawing a legal challenge.
The change limits the reach of the 50-year-old Endangered Species Act, which is credited with helping to save the bald eagle, California condor and numerous other animals and plants from extinction.
The act is a key regulatory consideration for government agencies when granting permits for oil and gas, mining, electric transmission and other operations on federal lands and water.
The new rule removes habitat destruction from the definition of the word “harm” in the ESA, meaning project developers would be allowed to impair places where species live so long as wildlife is not directly injured or killed.
The departments of Interior and Commerce said the final rule will reduce permitting and compliance costs for energy producers, farms, fishing interests and more. The move aligns with U.S. President Donald Trump’s goal to reduce regulations that he says constrain American businesses.
“This action restores common sense, respects private property, provides much-needed certainty for landowners and follows the statute Congress actually passed,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement. The administration proposed the rule in April 2025.
Environmental group Earthjustice said it planned to sue.
“For the first time ever, a presidential administration now claims that species protected by the Endangered Species Act shouldn’t be safe from habitat modification that destroys where they live, raise their young, or search for food,” Kristen Boyles, an Earthjustice attorney, said in a statement. “Let’s be clear: there is no support for the Trump administration’s rule — no scientific support, no legal support, no public support.”
(Reporting by Nichola Groom; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Sanjeev Miglani)
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