U.S. Rep. Huffman: ‘Trump is … pushing species to the brink of extinction’

This Tuesday morning, a coalition of conservation interests filed suit against the federal government in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. That coalition is objecting to a rule change, enacted by the Departments of Commerce and Interior this week, that would change the way federal agencies define “harm” under the Endangered Species Act.

According to the lawsuit’s plaintiffs, the Commerce and Interior Departments’ changes, which will redefine “harm” as it pertains to the ESA such that it no longer includes considerations of “significant habitat modification or degradation,” will likely induce the extinction of “many species.” Plaintiffs in the case include the Environmental Protection Information Center, Western Environmental Law Center, Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center and Cascadia Wildlands.

U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael), ranking member of the House’s Natural Resources Committee, released a statement Friday saying that the federal government’s rule change “will allow special interests to destroy imperiled species’ habitats.”

“Trump is doing everything in his power to let his billionaire, big industry buddies ravage and obliterate our country to turn a quick buck,” Huffman said. “This move would let special interests destroy an endangered animal’s home, its food, its clean water — the basic things it needs to survive and recover — with zero repercussions or accountability. He’s pushing species to the brink of extinction and hurting the surrounding communities that depend on thriving ecosystems for their businesses, healthy air and water, and way of life.”

Huffman added: “This is corrupt, illegal and completely untethered from scientific reality.”

The text of the complaint addresses the specific examples of several individual endangered species and populations from throughout the North Coast and greater Pacific Northwest — including the marbled murrelet, coho and Chinook salmon and northern spotted owl — noting that many populations are “unlikely to survive” should a federal rule change allow for greater habitat degradation.

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