Attorney General Charity Clark has joined a coalition of 19 attorneys general in opposing four proposed rules from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). The proposed changes would revise key regulations that implement the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973. According to the coalition, these rollbacks would significantly weaken protections for endangered species and their habitats both in California and nationwide.
The letter sent by the coalition points out that many of the proposed changes would reinstate regulations adopted during the first Trump Administration, which were previously challenged in court and partially reversed under President Biden’s administration. The ESA, enacted in 1973 under President Nixon, is described as a critical statute for protecting threatened species such as the bald eagle, grizzly bear, and humpback whale. The Supreme Court has stated that its purpose is “to halt and reverse the trend toward species extinction, whatever the cost.”
The coalition argues that the Trump Administration’s proposed rules would reduce federal protections, enforcement efforts, and regulatory processes designed to prevent extinction of vulnerable species.
In addition to Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark, attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wisconsin have signed onto the letter.
A copy of the comment letter is available on the Vermont Attorney General’s website.