The Biden Administration Just Took One Step to Protect Endangered Species. It Must Do Much More.

Earthjustice reports on the Biden administration's efforts to restore Endangered Species Act (ESA) regulations weakened under the Trump administration. While some progress has been made, Earthjustice and a coalition of seven conservation groups argue that current proposed revisions are insufficient, as some harmful Trump-era rules remain active due to court appeals. The briefing calls for the full restoration and strengthening of the ESA to combat a biodiversity crisis that threatens over a third of U.S. plants and animals.

• The Biden administration is working to restore regulations under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) that were eliminated or weakened during the Trump administration. These regulations are intended to preserve habitats for vulnerable plants and animals and prevent industrial economic interests from determining which species receive protection.
• Under the Trump administration, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service implemented regulations that weakened the ESA by making it harder to protect imperiled species and habitats, removing default protections for newly listed threatened species, and limiting the prohibition on harming critical habitat.
• In 2019, seven conservation groups, represented by Earthjustice, sued the Trump administration for violating the intent of the ESA, failing to analyze the resulting harm, and excluding the public from decision-making. These groups include the Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, National Parks Conservation Association, WildEarth Guardians, and the Humane Society of the United States.
• Despite a federal judge's ruling that Trump-era rules should be discarded, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals allowed them to remain active following appeals from GOP-run states and industrial interests. A public comment period for proposed revisions ends on August 21, with finalization expected by spring 2024.
• Earthjustice argues that the proposed revisions are insufficient as they leave harmful portions of the Trump regulations intact. The organization asserts that addressing the biodiversity crisis requires not only the full restoration of the ESA but also its strengthening.

APA

Earthjustice (2023). The Biden Administration Just Took One Step to Protect Endangered Species. It Must Do Much More. https://earthjustice.org/brief/2023/the-biden-administration-just-took-one-step-to-protect-endangered-species-it-must-do-much-more

Chicago

Earthjustice. The Biden Administration Just Took One Step to Protect Endangered Species. It Must Do Much More. 2023. https://earthjustice.org/brief/2023/the-biden-administration-just-took-one-step-to-protect-endangered-species-it-must-do-much-more.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Earthjustice |title=The Biden Administration Just Took One Step to Protect Endangered Species. It Must Do Much More. |date=23 June 2023 |url=https://earthjustice.org/brief/2023/the-biden-administration-just-took-one-step-to-protect-endangered-species-it-must-do-much-more |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{earthjustice2023biden, author = {{Earthjustice}}, title = {{The Biden Administration Just Took One Step to Protect Endangered Species. It Must Do Much More.}}, institution = {Earthjustice}, year = {2023}, month = jun, url = {https://earthjustice.org/brief/2023/the-biden-administration-just-took-one-step-to-protect-endangered-species-it-must-do-much-more}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }