The administration of President Joe Biden announced on Friday that it wanted to restore measures to protect endangered species that had been substantially relaxed by the government of his predecessor Donald Trump.
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The US Agency for Ocean and Atmospheric Observation (NOAA)
"will initiate the regulatory process in the coming months to revise, cancel or reinstate five measures of the Endangered Species Act finalized by the previous administration"
, a- she said in a statement. This law, dating from 1973, a world benchmark in terms of environmental protection, notably made it possible to save the bald eagle, the very emblem of the country, from extinction. It has been significantly changed by the Republican government of Donald Trump.
In particular, a clause granting the same protection to so-called
“threatened”
species as to species
“in
immediate
danger of extinction”
has been deleted. And companies can now build roads, oil pipelines, gas pipelines, mines and other industrial projects in areas designated as
“critical habitat”
for an endangered species.
The Democratic administration has announced its intention to reverse these two measures, among other things. A law will be drafted, which will need to undergo a public comment period before it can be finalized.
"We are grateful that the Biden administration is moving forward to protect the most endangered species by reversing Trump-era measures, but time is running out
,
"
environmental organization Earthjustice responded in a statement, worrying that the process could take
"months or even years".
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