Dear John,
Introducing four new rules to severely limit the scope of the Endangered Species Act, the Trump administration has made clear that corporate interests come first -- even if it means putting more than 2,300 already-imperiled species in greater danger.
If these four new rules move forward together, species already fighting for survival -- from the California condor to the monarch butterfly, the Florida manatee to the gray whale, the red wolf to the whooping crane -- would lose essential protections that are keeping them alive.
Until now, legislation has protected 99% of listed species from extinction. But the impact of these four new rules would destroy that legislation by:
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Giving economic interests priority over scientific evidence
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Weakening habitat protections by excluding areas needed for species recovery
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Gutting expert consultation to allow harmful projects to move forward
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Ending automatic protections for newly listed threatened species
Individually, each rule is dangerous. Together, they are devastating -- a coordinated rollback that tears through every major pillar of the ESA at once, leaving endangered and threatened species exposed on all fronts.
The public comment period is now open, but the December 22 deadline is approaching fast -- so submit your comment opposing these sweeping rollbacks today!
Taken together, these rules would shred the safety net that has kept thousands of species from disappearing forever. The administration’s plans will accelerate habitat destruction, weaken scientific oversight, and pave the way for irreversible loss -- unless we step in and stop them.
These changes would dismantle the core protections that have made the ESA one of the most successful conservation laws on Earth. Rather than prioritizing science and recovery, they would make it easier for developers and corporations to ignore harm to wildlife and the ecosystems we all depend on.
The Endangered Species Act does not need to be revised: It works! Every species lost weakens the ecological diversity humanity relies on for clean air, clean water, food security, and climate resilience. And the more people who speak up, the harder it will be for Trump’s allies to enact rules that put profits above the survival of wildlife.
Please send your comments opposing these revisions today to protect endangered species from these unprecedented cuts!
Thank you for making your voice heard.
- DFA AF Team
