The United States' "national bird" was at serious risk of extinction when the Endangered Species Act passed. Photo: Frank Cone.
July 10, 2026 (Boston, MA) – The Trump administration has finalized a rule that threatens the survival of countless species by claiming that destroying habitats doesn’t necessarily harm wildlife, seriously undermining the Endangered Species Act. Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) released the following statement in response.
“This rule is an all-out assault on wildlife,” said Erica Fuller, CLF senior counsel. “If we can’t stop habitat destruction and harm, we will watch wildlife go extinct; it’s that simple. This move by the Trump administration yet again ignores law and science and forces industry to navigate a new rule after fifty years of a reliable process.”
Enacted in 1973, the Endangered Species Act establishes protections for fish, wildlife, and plants that are listed as threatened or endangered. Organizations, scientists, and states argue that narrowing the Act will ruin vital habitats and that removing the protections will lead to population declines not only in endangered species but also in other wildlife.
CLF experts are available for further comment.
###