The Trump administration announced Friday that it rolled back a key protection for endangered species.
Specifically, it said it was repealing a previous definition of prohibited “harm” to endangered animals and plants under the Endangered Species Act.
Under prior regulations, expressly prohibited “harm” includes significantly changing a species’s habitat to the point that it “actually kills or injures wildlife” by preventing food, shelter or breeding.
The administration said it was making its move to speed up approvals for projects that would have been slowed under previous rules of the road, which it described as outdated.
“For years, federal agencies abused the ESA to obstruct lawful land use and burden American families and businesses,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement.
Environmental advocates warned that repealing the definition could allow developers to trample over important habitats — harming at-risk animals and plants in the process.