defenders.org
Trump Administration Rescinds 'Harm' Definition, Defenders Prepares for Court
In a devastating blow to wildlife, the Trump administration today formally rescinded the regulatory definition of “harm” under the Endangered Species Act, seeking to eliminate the long-standing legal interpretation that habitat destruction that leads to death or injury of protected species constitutes illegal “take” unless authorized. Defenders of Wildlife intends to sue over violations of the Endangered Species Act. “The administration’s erroneous and nonsensical interpretation of the term ‘harm’ guts the ability of the Endangered Species Act and the federal government to protect the habitat of wildlife already at risk of extinction because the places they live have been destroyed or fragmented,” said Andrew Bowman, president and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife. “We intend to fight back with the full force of the law to defeat this attack and innumerable others by the administration on the statutes and regulations that protect America’s cherished wildlife.” “The law, the science and the American public’s opinion do not support this decision,” said Jane Davenport, senior attorney at Defenders of Wildlife. “As we face an extinction crisis unprecedented in human history — fueled largely by habitat loss — this administration has decided that handouts to extractive industries are worth the risk of losing irreplaceable...