The administration reversed Trump-era changes that allowed economic impacts to be considered when deciding whether to grant a species endangered status – and protections.
It also restored protections for “threatened” species — which are at less risk of extinction than “endangered” species.
“These revisions underscore our commitment to using all of the tools available to help halt declines and stabilize populations of the species most at-risk,” U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Director Martha Williams said in a written statement.
But, environmental advocates expressed disappointment about some Trump-era measures that were left in, such as those that allowed for some damage to species’ habitats.
“The Biden administration needs to protect more habitat, not less. We need the administration to increase protections for biodiversity, not abandon them. The president has the power, and we need him to use it,” Sierra Club President and CEO Ben Jealous said in a written statement.
Read more at TheHill.com.
