Endangered Species Act Changes Take Effect August 20
Changes to how the Endangered Species Act is implemented are set to take effect later this month, including revisions that could affect how threatened species and critical habitat are managed in California.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the changes in mid-July. They take effect August 20.
One revision eliminates what is known as the blanket rule for threatened species. Instead of automatically extending endangered-species protections to newly listed threatened species, the Service will be able to develop species-specific protections under Section 4(d) of the law.
Another change involves critical habitat. The revised regulations allow the Service to consider economic, national security and other relevant impacts when determining whether particular areas should be excluded from a critical habitat designation, as long as an exclusion would not result in the species’ extinction.
The Trump administration says the changes will provide greater regulatory predictability while allowing protections to be tailored to individual species and circumstances.
The Endangered Species Act has long generated debate over how to balance species conservation with agriculture, development and other land uses.
The new regulations take effect August 20.
