Environmentalists call the new rules a ‘death sentence,’ but the complaints are pure politics.
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 is one of America’s most far-reaching environmental laws. It can stop projects, block land use, and impose sweeping restrictions to protect wildlife. Yet after more than half a century and billions of dollars, only 3% of species deemed threatened or endangered under the act have recovered and are no longer in peril.
The Trump administration recently proposed reforms to correct one of the act’s most counterproductive aspects. Environmental groups responded with fury in the predictable ritual that accompanies any re-examination of the law. “Trump’s proposals are a death sentence for wolverines, monarch butterflies, Florida manatees and so many other animals and plants that desperately need our help,” said Stephanie Kurose of the Center for Biological Diversity. Fundraising emails warned of mass extinctions. Critics lamented that protections were being “gutted.”
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Shawn Regan is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute.
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