US proposes eroding species protections
The Trump administration wants to change the definition of 'harm' in the Environmental Protection Act to allow habitat damage


What happened
The Trump administration Wednesday proposed changing the definition of "harm" in the 1973 Environmental Protection Act to exclude damaging the habitats where endangered species live, siding with businesses who view the current longstanding definition as a burdensome regulation that limits logging, oil drilling, mining and housing development. Under the proposed new definition, harm would refer only to activities that deliberately kill or injure an endangered animal, like hunting or trapping.
Who said what
Narrowing the definition of "harm" to exclude habitat degradation "makes sense in light of the well-established, centuries-old understanding" of the word, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service said in their proposed rule.
Habitat loss is the "single biggest reason that many species face extinction," The New York Times said. The proposed change "cuts the heart out of the Endangered Species Act," said Noah Greenwald of the Center for Biological Diversity, per The Washington Post. Kristen Boyles, a lawyer at Earthjustice, called the new definition "nonsensical both legally and biologically," allowing "a developer to drain a pond where an endangered species of turtle or fish lived, and that wouldn't be harm."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What next?
The public has 30 days to submit comments on the rule before it is finalized. Oil industry advocates applauded the proposal. Environmental groups vowed to challenge it in court, pointing out that the Supreme Court upheld the more expansive definition of "harm" in 1995.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Real-life couples creating real-deal sparks in the best movies to star IRL partners
The Week Recommends The chemistry between off-screen items can work wonders
-
Is China's giant new hydropower dam a 'water bomb' aimed at India?
Today's Big Question River is a 'lifeline for millions' across Asia
-
Aysegul Savas' 6 favorite books for readers who love immersive settings
Feature The Paris-based Turkish author recommends works by Hiromi Kawakami, Virginia Woolf, and more
-
Spiking whale deaths in San Francisco have marine biologists worried
In the Spotlight Whale deaths in the city's bay are at their highest levels in 25 years
-
FEMA Urban Search and Rescue chief resigns
Speed Read Ken Pagurek has left the organization, citing 'chaos'
-
Melting glaciers may lead to more volcanic eruptions
Under the radar We're in for a boom
-
Wildfires destroy historic Grand Canyon lodge
Speed Read Dozens of structures on the North Rim have succumbed to the Dragon Bravo Fire
-
Search for survivors continues after Texas floods
Speed Read A total of 82 people are confirmed dead, including 28 children
-
How carbon credits and offsets could help and hurt the climate
The explainer The credits could be allowing polluters to continue polluting
-
This Atlantic hurricane season is expected to be above average
Under the radar Prepare for strong storms in the coming months
-
EPA is reportedly killing Energy Star program
speed read The program for energy-efficient home appliances has saved consumers billions in energy costs since its 1992 launch