Trump Endangered Species

Killing endangered animals while logging a forest or building a dam would not be considered illegal unless the animals were specifically targeted, under a new interpretation of the Endangered Species Act. That marks a sea change by President Donald Trump’s administration in how the landmark environmental law is enforced. A directive sent to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees this week says imperiled animals or plants must be intentionally targeted for their killing to be considered illegal. That’s a sharp turnaround from past practice at the wildlife service. Historically, it's held people liable even for accidentally harming protected species such as grizzly bears, manatees and spotted owls.