Trump Admin Rollbacks Threaten Florida's Wildlife

Recent changes to the Endangered Species Act (ESA), finalized in July, are raising alarms for Florida's numerous endangered and threatened species. The Trump administration rescinded the definition of 'harm' to exclude detrimental habitat changes, a move environmental advocates fear will hasten habitat destruction and unchecked pollution. Florida, a state experiencing significant development, is particularly vulnerable. Environmental groups and researchers worry these rollbacks could tip the balance in favor of industries over wildlife preservation.

The implications are already being felt. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection, in July, sought to overturn a ruling that linked state wastewater regulations to the deaths of over 1,000 manatees in 2021. These manatees are federally listed as threatened under the ESA. The state agency argued that the new 'harm' rule change negates the previous ruling, which was based on indirect effects to manatee habitats.

Lawsuits challenging these ESA rollbacks have been filed, including one by a Florida plaintiff, before the 'harm' rule's Sept. 14 effective date. The Bear Warriors United group originally sued after seagrass die-offs led to manatee starvation. A lower court had found DEP-permitted wastewater systems responsible for algal blooms that killed the seagrass, requiring DEP to seek an ESA permit. This decision is now under appeal.