Sam's News — conservation — 2026-09-27

Conservation

8 Trump Administration Removes Habitat Destruction from Endangered Species Act Protections

The president of the United States administration finalized a rule on July 10, 2026, removing habitat destruction from the regulatory definition of "harm" under the Endangered Species Act. The change, effective September 14, 2026, allows farming, drilling, mining, logging, and development to proceed in endangered species habitat without violating federal law, weakening decades of wildlife protection.

• Rule removal effective September 14, 2026
• Habitat destruction no longer counts as illegal 'take' under the Endangered Species Act
• Reverses 30+ years of regulatory interpretation upheld by Supreme Court in 1995 Babbitt v. Sweet Home case
• Habitat loss is the primary driver of extinction for endangered species

Sources: Mongabay AI Web Searched, Center for Biological Diversity AI Web Searched