Biden reinstates endangered species protections removed by Trump.
The Biden administration is proposing to restore rules to protect endangered plants and animals that were weakened by the Trump administration. The proposed rules would reinstate blanket protections for newly classified threatened species, make it easier to designate critical areas for a species' survival, and eliminate economic impacts as a consideration for protection. The changes could take a year to finalize and are expected to face pushback from Republican lawmakers and industry groups. The Endangered Species Act has been credited with saving numerous species from extinction since its inception in 1973.