Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Regulations Pertaining to Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants
What happened
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is revising its regulations concerning protections for threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. Specifically, the FWS is removing the "blanket rule" option for protecting newly listed threatened species, which automatically applied most section 9(a) prohibitions to them. This final rule is effective August 20, 2026, and was signed by Donald Trump.
Why it matters
This change means that newly listed threatened species will no longer automatically receive the same protections as endangered species. Instead, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will need to issue species-specific rules to determine what protections each threatened species should receive.
Who it affects
- ›Threatened species under the Endangered Species Act
- ›U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- ›Conservation groups and environmental organizations
- ›Industries impacting threatened species
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