A federal judge in Washington threw out a number of actions taken by the Trump administration to roll back protections for threatened species, a year after the Biden administration said it was moving to strengthen them.
The Trump-era rules were eliminated by a US District Judge in Northern California. While the reviews are completed, the decision restores protections for some species that date to the 70s. Environmental groups hailed the decision, which they said sped up needed protections for threatened species.
The attorney for Earthjustice said that Tigar's ruling spoke for species in need of comprehensive federal protections without compromise. They don't have the luxury of waiting under rules that aren't protecting them.
Two federal agencies, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service, are reviewing the regulations that were finalized by the President.
The decades-old "blanket rule" will be brought back by Fish and Wildlife. The protections were taken away by Trump.
The consultation rule and a separate rule on the scope of proposed federal actions help determine how far the government can go to protect vulnerable species when critical habitat designation is made.
The northern spotted owl, gray wolves, and other species were protected under the Trump administration. The Biden administration reversed Trump's decision to make it harder to prosecute bird deaths caused by the energy industry.
The bird law reversal was one of more than 150 business friendly actions on the environment that Trump took and Biden wants to reconsider, revise or scrap.
The Fish and Wildlife Service is overseen by the Interior Department.
In June of 2021, Fish and Wildlife and the marine fisheries service said they were reviewing the actions of the Trump administration. The reviews could take a long time.
Under Trump, industry groups and Republicans in Congress were able to weaken the law's regulations. Many of the cases that were fought in court remained unresolved.
Ryan Shannon, a lawyer with the Center for Biological Diversity, said that he was "incredibly relieved" that the rules were thrown out by the Oakland, California-based Tigar.
Shannon hoped that the Biden administration would strengthen the law rather than weaken it.
The previous administration's extortion package will be rolled back after the court ruling, according to Rebecca Riley.
She and other advocates want the Biden administration to make sure the Endangered Species Act can prevent the extinction of vulnerable species.
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