Protections for species considered threatened will return to the same as those for endangered.
On Tuesday, a U.S. district court ruled that the Endangered Species Act must be reinstated, reversing a decision made by the previous administration in 2019 to relax the regulations. The act allows the Fish and Wildlife Service to provide the same environmental protections to species that are threatened or likely to become endangered as those that are already listed as endangered in the United States.
“Here, the Services themselves concede that they have substantial concerns with the 2019 ESA Rules, both with respect to certain substantive provisions as well as certain procedures that were utilized in promulgating these regulatory revisions,” U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar wrote. “But, as the Services themselves explain many times, leaving the regulations in place will cause equal or greater confusion, given the flaws in the drafting and promulgation of those regulations.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For U.S. district court judges as they interpret federal laws.
- For officials in the Fish and Wildlife Service as they implement protections for endangered and threatened species.
- For wisdom for the president’s administration as they seek to prevent animals and plants from extinction.
Sources: The Hill, E&E News
