Guest commentary: Oppose protection roll-backs to ESA
Federal agencies are currently working to roll back multiple existing regulations that are instrumental in providing Americans with the tools to protect our environment.
The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) is sharing four very concerning proposed rule changes to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) — please refer to the below link for details on each specific rule change. To date, the legislation has successfully protected 99% of ESA-listed species from extinction, including the bald eagle, grizzly bear and American alligator.
The ESA also continues to restore populations of the most endangered species in our state, such as the Florida panther, smalltooth sawfish, all five species of sea turtles found in Florida waters, bonneted bat, wood stork and West Indian manatee, among countless others.
The changes being proposed to the ESA focus on weakening protections to the habitat in which the threatened species live, along with considering potential loss of revenue when designating endangered species.
Your comments to each of these ESA rule proposals can be similar, but commenting on each of the four rule changes will show the administration that a large number of Americans support the habitat protections and best available science needed to successfully implement the ESA. We’ve also provided some talking points if you would like to tailor your comments for each rule change.
To view the proposed rule changes, visit https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/administration-revises-endangered-species-act-regulations-strengthen-certainty.
TALKING POINTS
– Rule to change Listing Endangered and Threatened Species and Designating Critical Habitat
Talking point: Removing automatic protection for threatened species and their habitats creates delays and exposes vulnerable species to harm. Critical habitat protections are vital to long-term protection of a species. This change contradicts the ESA’s preventative intent and will lead to greater ecological and financial costs in the long run.
To submit comments, visit https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/FWS-HQ-ES-2025-0039-0001.
– Rule to Change Interagency Cooperation
Talking point: Limiting federal review of agency actions will make it easier for destructive projects to proceed without fully assessing the impacts on endangered species.
To submit comments, visit https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/FWS-HQ-ES-2025-0044-0001.
– Rule to change Threatened Species Protections
Talking point: Elimination of the “blanket rule,” which automatically protects plants and animals when they are classified as threatened, and replacing it with the requirement to craft species-specific rules for protections will take an inordinate amount of staff time already challenged by workforce cuts.
To submit comments, visit https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/FWS-HQ-ES-2025-0029-0001.
– Rule to change Critical Habitat Exclusions
Talking point: Consideration of economic benefits without the equal consideration of ecosystem services benefits strips the public of the benefits of conservation land and hands a unearned monetary benefit to the private sector. Economic interests will override environmental protections.
To submit comments, visit https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/FWS-HQ-ES-2025-0048-0001.
SAMPLE COMMENT LETTER
For your convenience, please also see the following sample comment letter:
“I oppose this proposal to weaken the Endangered Species Act and encourage the administration to withdraw these rule changes.
“Opening land to drilling, clear cutting and strip mining by considering potential economic losses without a science-based analysis of the ecosystem services these lands provide will not just result in the endangerment and potential elimination of several species, but it will also endanger human health with an increase in pollution, flooding and contamination of our water supply.
“For all of these reasons, I strongly urge the agency to withdraw these proposed rules and maintain the ESA’s strong science-based protections.
“The ESA should be strengthened to address the many threats our imperiled species face including habitat loss and fragmentation due to urban sprawl, agriculture, roads and altering water cycles.
“Finally, since the issues regarding the protection of our endangered species and their habitat is of substantial importance, I feel that a 30-day comment period, opened and closed during the holiday season, is inadequate and should be extended for 60 days to match other proposed rule changes.”
Please submit your thoughts by the end of the public comment period on Dec. 22.
Thank you for working with the SCCF to secure a healthy environment for our plants, for our animals and for ourselves.
Founded in 1967, the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation’s mission is to protect and care for Southwest Florida’s coastal ecosystems. For more information, visit sccf.org.