Endangered Species Act

The Trump administration is pursuing changes to the Endangered Species Act that reportedly draw on a 1995 dissent by the late Justice Antonin Scalia. The argument, rejected by the Supreme Court at the time, would narrow how habitat destruction counts as harming endangered species. Critics call the approach a stealth effort to weaken protections, warning it could strip key habitat safeguards from threatened wildlife.

The Trump administration has announced a policy change allowing developers and loggers to kill endangered species, according to reports. The move weakens protections under the Endangered Species Act and would permit harm to protected animals and their habitats in areas opened for construction and timber activity. Conservation groups are expected to push back against the decision.