Trump Administration Removes Habitat Protection for Endangered Species

For decades, federal agencies interpreted “harm” to include both effects on the endangered species themselves from direct physical harm and effects on habitat that could remove foraging and shelter that an endangered species uses. The new federal rule announced on July 10, 2026, changes this interpretation so that “harm” only includes direct impacts to the species itself and not the habitat where the species lives.

The implications of this change are significant because many endangered species have very low populations, in part, because there is little habitat for them to live in. Reducing habitat protections is likely to harm those species because there will be fewer areas for breeding, feeding, and shelter. Habitat protection is critical to the recovery and survival of endangered species.

Industry groups have long wanted this change because they viewed the previous interpretation of “harm” as overly burdensome. Environmental groups are expected to sue over the change, and it’s unknown how the courts will rule on the Trump Administration’s interpretation of “harm.”