The administration of President Donald Trump has reignited a contentious environmental battle, announcing plans on Wednesday, 19 November 2025, to resurrect a suite of regulatory changes that would significantly roll back protections for imperilled species and their habitats.
This move effectively revives proposals from Trump's first term that were subsequently blocked under his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden. The central aim is to overhaul the 1973 Endangered Species Act, a landmark piece of US conservation legislation.
Key Changes to Species Protections
A cornerstone of the proposed revisions is the elimination of the so-called "blanket rule." This current rule, administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, automatically extends protections to all plants and animals as soon as they are classified as "threatened."
Under the new plan, government agencies would be forced to create individual, species-specific rules for each threatened species, a process that conservationists warn could be lengthy and bureaucratic.
Another significant change would require officials to consider economic impacts when designating which habitats are deemed "critical" for a species' survival. This has raised alarms that commercial interests could override scientific data in conservation decisions.
Conservation Fears and Industry Approval
Environmental groups have reacted with dismay. Stephanie Kurose from the Center for Biological Diversity called the proposals "absurd and heartbreaking," suggesting that years of delays could occur before protections are enacted, potentially waiting until a species is on the brink of extinction.
Specific species highlighted as being at risk include the monarch butterfly, the Florida manatee, the California spotted owl, and the North American wolverine.
In contrast, the announcement was welcomed by Republicans in Congress and industries such as oil and gas, mining, and agriculture, who have long argued that the Endangered Species Act has been used too broadly, stifling economic growth.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stated the administration was restoring the act to its "original intent" and providing "certainty to states, tribes, landowners and businesses."
A Lizard on the Brink
The potential real-world consequences were illustrated by the case of the Yarrow's spiny lizard in the Southwest. A petition filed on Wednesday seeks protections for this reptile, whose population in Arizona's Mule Mountains is being ravaged by climate change.
Professor John Wiens, an ecology expert at the University of Arizona who co-authored the petition, expressed shock that the species isn't already extinct. Advocates fear that the new requirement for economic analysis could critically delay the protections the lizard urgently needs.
The administration's stance is also a response to legal pressure. In March, the Interior Department was sued by the Property and Environment Research Center (PERC) and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, who argued the blanket rule was illegal. PERC's Vice President, Jonathan Wood, hailed Wednesday's proposal as a "necessary course correction."
This is not the first time the Trump administration has targeted species protections; during his first term, protections for the northern spotted owl and gray wolf were also rolled back, though some of those decisions were later reversed in court.
