A Trump rule narrowing endangered species protections takes effect despite near-unanimous opposition
A new rule that redefines what counts as 'harm' to endangered species under federal law took effect this week, despite 99% of public comments opposing it, prompting lawsuits from the Sierra Club and 20 states.
A Trump administration rule that rescinds the federal definition of "harm" under the Endangered Species Act took effect on Sept. 14, removing language that made clear habitat destruction violates the law when it kills or injures protected wildlife. Roughly 99% of the nearly 220,000 public comments submitted on the proposal opposed it, according to The New York Times.
The Sierra Club, represented by the legal group Earthjustice, filed a federal lawsuit challenging the rule on July 14, arguing it violates both the Endangered Species Act and the Administrative Procedure Act. Twenty states and the District of Columbia filed a separate lawsuit on Sept. 9. "The Trump administration asked for public input, received nearly 220,000 comments, and ignored nearly all of it," said Ben Greuel, the Sierra Club's national wildlife campaign manager.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Senators Adam Schiff and Sheldon Whitehouse and Representatives Mike Quigley and Brian Fitzpatrick, has introduced measures to reverse the rollback. The change is part of a broader set of Endangered Species Act revisions the Trump administration announced this summer, including changes to protections for threatened species and how critical habitat is designated.
Based on a statement from the Sierra Club, published via CleanTechnica. Read the original: https://cleantechnica.com/2026/09/14/trump-habitat-rollback-takes-effect-as-sierra-club-and-conservation-partners-sue/
This article was produced with the assistance of AI tools and reviewed by an editor before publication.
