New Rule Will Weaken Habitat Protections Under the Endangered Species Act

On July 10, 2026, the Trump administration announced a final rule that will rescind the longstanding definition of what it means to “harm” a plant or animal under the Endangered Species Act. The final rule, which will take effect in 60 days, says that habitat destruction is no longer a prohibited form of harm to an endangered species. One week later, the administration announced two additional rules that will weaken protections for endangered species. The first rescinds blanket protections for species listed as “threatened” under the ESA. The second revises the process for excluding otherwise suitable areas from designation as “critical habitat.”

In response to these decisions, TNC’s Executive Vice President of North America, Caribbean and Micronesia Jan Glendening issued the following statement.

“In order to survive and thrive, animals and plants need habitat. These rules will make it harder for them to find shelter, food and places to mate.

“These rules come at a time when so much habitat is under threat from things like development, fires, drought and floods. We need more, not fewer, effective protections and incentives for habitat restoration. This is not the time to weaken the Endangered Species Act, which for more than 50 years has prevented the extinction of approximately 99% of all species that have fallen under its purview.

“Science increasingly points to the importance of healthy and connected habitat as essential for the long-term survival and recovery of species. The Nature Conservancy supports improvements to the ESA so the policy can be the best chance for recovery for species facing threats of extinction.”