Brussels: The US Fish and Wildlife Service has announced the revocation of the "blanket rule," a longstanding policy that had extended protections typically afforded to endangered species to those classified as threatened. This change marks a significant shift in the interpretation of the 1973 Endangered Species Act by the Trump administration.

According to Anadolu Agency, the regulation, effective since 1975, was rescinded as part of a broader effort to reinterpret the Endangered Species Act, a move that has been met with criticism for potentially weakening protections for vulnerable plants and animals. In addition to this revocation, the agency has introduced a rule mandating that regulators consider economic impacts when designating "critical habitat" for threatened and endangered species, a consideration that was previously optional.

The Interior Department justified these changes as steps to "advance President Donald J. Trump's directives to strengthen American energy independence, improve regulatory predictability, and ensure federal actions align with the best reading of the law." Interior Secretary Doug Burgum emphasized that the Endangered Species Act had historically been used to obstruct new projects in the United States, thereby increasing costs, reducing competitiveness, and undermining national security.

Environmental groups have voiced strong opposition to the changes, arguing that they could severely weaken protections for at-risk species. Clay Samford, an attorney with Earthjustice, criticized the new rules as detrimental to both wildlife and wild land, suggesting that they favor narrow business interests. He also pointed out that the new rule would likely lead to more land being excluded from critical habitat designations due to increased consideration of ranchers' concerns.

The process of listing species under the Endangered Species Act typically involves petitions from environmental organizations and other groups. The US Fish and Wildlife Service currently has over 500 species awaiting evaluation for potential listing as threatened or endangered. Samford warned that the agency's reduced workforce, combined with the new requirement for species-by-species assessments, could lead to a backlog in these reviews.