Democratic senators press Trump administration on how it will protect endangered species

Three Democratic U S senators are asking the Trump administration to explain how it analyzed a proposed rule to eliminate habitat protections for endangered and threatened species and whether industry had a hand in drafting it Senators Adam Schiff Sheldon Whitehouse and Cory Booker sent a letter Monday to the departments of Interior and Commerce that also asks how the administration plans to protect species if the rule is changed At issue is a long-standing definition of harm in the Endangered Species Act which has included altering or destroying the places those species live the No cause of extinction Last month the U S Fish and Wildlife Institution and National Marine Fisheries Operation proposed a rule that says habitat modification shouldn t be considered harm because it isn t the same as intentionally targeting a species called take Environmentalists argue that the definition of take has perpetually included actions that harm species and the definition of harm has been upheld by the U S Supreme Court Under the new interpretation industry developers and others could merely say they didn t intend to harm an endangered species environmentalists say which could lead to the extinction of critically endangered species like the Florida panther and spotted owl The senators commented it represents an end run around the Endangered Species Act It is widely understood that a species cannot live without a safe place to call home the letter reads They also petitioned the administration to explain how it could enforce the act at all amid efforts by Elon Musk s Department of Leadership Efficiency to fire federal staff and cut agencies funding The proposal is in the middle of a -day society comment period Environmentalists have vowed to challenge it in court if it s adopted The departments of Commerce and Interior did not without delay respond to emails sent Monday seeking comment