Tribes and Environmental Groups Push Back on Trump Rule to Diminish Habitat Protections for Endangered Species By Kiley Price
July 15, 2026
Introduction:
(Inside Climate News) Environmental groups and tribes are suing the Trump administration over a new rule eliminating the majority of habitat protections for imperiled wildlife protected by the Endangered Species Act.
Experts say the rule represents the most profound change to the law since it was first enacted in 1973, paving the way for more development and industrial activities that will likely harm vulnerable animals and plants. It’s the latest in a series of moves by the Trump administration to weaken the Endangered Species Act in ways that will benefit politically powerful industries like oil and gas.
First proposed in April, the finalized rule will rescind the law’s longstanding regulatory interpretation of “harm,” which is defined as any significant habitat modification or degradation that kills or injures wildlife. The administration said in a press release last week that the law’s core protections remain “firmly in place,” but that rescinding the harm definition will “reduce unnecessary permitting, cut compliance costs, and eliminate confusion for landowners, small businesses, energy producers, farmers, ranchers and local governments.”
“For years, federal agencies abused the ESA to obstruct lawful land use and burden American families and businesses,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement. “That approach turned routine activity into a regulatory trap, drove up costs that impacted people’s lives, and expanded federal authority beyond what Congress intended.”
A coalition of nine environmental groups and two Washington tribes filed separate lawsuits this week contesting the decision. They argue that rescinding the harm rule is prohibited by the ESA’s statutory language and defies the core goal of the law, given that habitat loss is the primary driver of extinction.
Court Decision Prevents Trump Administration from Removing More Than 900 Bison from Federal Land September 4, 2026
Introduction:
(Earth Justice) GREAT FALLS, MONTANA — A Montana District Court today granted a preliminary injunction preventing the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) from removing more than 900 bison from federal land in Montana. Earthjustice and Cochenour Law Office requested the injunction on behalf of American Prairie in August, arguing that the agency misinterpreted the Taylor Grazing Act and violated federal law.
In the decision, Judge Brian Morris states, “No statutory language or judicial precedent exists that requires a livestock operation to focus exclusively on production and entirely ignore conservation, range improvement, preservation, or other values.” The Court goes on to say, “Congress recognized livestock grazing and livestock management often includes and considers preservation, improvement, and thoughtful development, hand-in-hand with other uses.”
American Prairie’s bison will now remain on public lands in Montana while the underlying lawsuit proceeds. Without the injunction, American Prairie would have had to cull or relocate hundreds of bison by the end of September.
“This is an important victory in the fight to ensure American Prairie’s bison can continue grazing on Montana’s prairie, as they have for over two decades,” said Jenny Harbine, managing attorney with Earthjustice’s Northern Rockies Office. “The Trump administration’s decision to force more than 900 bison off federal land was illegal and politically motivated. We look forward to presenting our case to ensure bison can remain on public lands across the country.”
For over 20 years, BLM authorized American Prairie to graze its bison on federal lands. The agency abruptly reversed course on American Prairie’s permits after the change in presidential administrations, adopting the livestock industry’s position that it had long rejected. BLM’s new position disqualifies livestock owners who prioritize conservation practices from obtaining grazing permits, even though these practices benefit rangeland and riparian health. BLM’s new test would jeopardize permits across the country for bison and other animals under BLM’s longstanding interpretation of grazing statutes.
