Lawsuit Seeks to Protect America’s Wildlife From Trump Administration

A group of conservation organizations has sued the Trump administration over a rule change to the Endangered Species Act. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service rescinded the longstanding definition of "harm" under the law, which for 50 years had included habitat destruction. The Supreme Court upheld that definition in 1995. Without it, industries could damage or destroy the forests, wetlands, rivers, or other habitat that endangered species depend on, even if doing so injures or kills them.

The groups bringing the suit, including the Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club, Conservation Law Foundation, and others represented by Earthjustice, argue the change is illegal because the Endangered Species Act's own language already bars harming species through habitat loss. The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Seattle. Species named as potentially affected include Florida manatees, grizzly bears, salmon and steelhead, several bird species, Hawaiian monk seals, Canada lynx, and pollinating insects that farmers rely on.

This is a policy and legal fight, not something that changes anything about home energy upgrades or rebates. It does not affect any weatherization or efficiency programs. It's worth knowing about mainly because it's part of a broader rollback of environmental rules happening alongside other federal actions this year, including changes to oil-and-gas exemptions and reductions in the federal staff who oversee wildlife protection. The lawsuit's outcome will determine whether the old habitat protections stay in place or whether the narrower rule takes effect.