US officials seek limits on "habitat" for imperiled species The Trump administration is proposing to restrict what land and water can be declared as “habitat” for imperiled plants and animalsBILLINGS, Mont. It follows other steps under Trump to scale back or alter endangered species rules, including lifting blanket protections for animals newly listed as threatened and setting cost estimates for saving species. “It gives a standard which we’ve been lacking for the past 45 years to guide critical habitat designations,” he said. “You won’t have the free-roaming critical habitat designations like you would have in the Weyerhaeuser case.”The Trump administration ultimately withdrew the Louisiana critical habitat designation in a settlement. “The purpose of the Endangered Species Act is to help endangered species flourish and expand back into their former habitat.” said Grijalva, chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee.

Source: ABC News July 31, 2020 21:16 UTC