Wildlife habitats across the U.S. are under attack with a recent Trump administration proposal to change the wording of the Endangered Species Act.
There are two key parts to the law that protect plants and animals from extinction: 1) They can’t be directly harassed, hurt, or killed, and 2) they can’t be indirectly harmed through habitat destruction. The proposed rule change aims to do away with the second part by removing the word “harm,” allowing destruction of the places species need to survive.
Without this vital provision, many of the 1,700 species the law has saved since its passage in 1973 would now be lost.
If finalized, the new rule would open up critical habitat for industry to log, mine, and develop. And it would alter the wild character of many of our Sky Islands in southern Arizona, one of the top 35 biodiversity hotspots in the world. Endangered species, from Arizona eryngo to Mexican spotted owls, Gila chub, and jaguars, will be pushed toward extinction.
Take action today: Using the form below, urge federal officials to withdraw this dangerous proposal that would irreparably change the Sky Island region, with far-reaching consequences to animal, plant, and human health.
Comments accepted through May 19.
Photo of Arizona eryngo and butterfly courtesy SIA; jaguar in Whetstones in November 2023 courtesy SIA; Gila chub by Brian Gratwicke/Flickr; Mexican spotted owls courtesy U.S. Forest Service.