Connecticut Challenges Proposed Rollback of Endangered Species Act Protections
April 28, 2025
Connecticut’s Attorney General, William Tong, has initiated a lawsuit against the Trump administration’s proposed changes to the Endangered Species Act (ESA), arguing that the revisions would significantly weaken protections for vulnerable species and their habitats. (ct.audubon.org)
The administration’s proposal aims to eliminate regulatory language that prevents habitat degradation for threatened species, aligning with President Trump’s agenda to ease federal regulations seen as burdensome to businesses. (reuters.com)
Environmental groups, including Audubon Connecticut, have expressed strong opposition to the proposed changes. They argue that the revisions would make it more difficult to protect wildlife from threats, including climate change, and could lead to increased logging, development, and other industrial activities in sensitive areas, accelerating extinction risks for species like the spotted owl and Florida panther. (apnews.com)
In response to the proposed rollback, Connecticut has filed a lawsuit challenging the new rules, asserting that they are arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedure Act and unlawful under the National Environmental Policy Act. The state contends that the changes would tip the balance in decision-making against vulnerable wildlife and undermine decades of conservation efforts. (ct.audubon.org)
The outcome of this legal challenge could have significant implications for the future of endangered species protections in Connecticut and across the nation.
Environmentalists Alarmed by Proposed ESA Rollback:
- US proposes looser interpretation of law that protects threatened species
- Proposed rule change on endangered species triggers alarm for environmentalists
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