On March 31, 2026, the Endangered Species Committee unanimously exempts Gulf of Mexico oil and gas operations from certain requirements of the Endangered Species Act, citing national security and domestic energy needs. It is the first ESA exemption approved in more than three decades.
On July 10, 2026, the administration finalizes a rule removing habitat destruction from the regulatory definition of "harm" under the ESA. The change allows habitat modification so long as protected animals are not directly injured or killed. Days later, environmental groups sue to block the rule.
On July 17, 2026, the administration finalizes additional ESA regulatory changes, ending automatic protections for newly listed threatened species and making it easier for regulators to consider economic and national security concerns when designating critical habitat.
On Sept. 4, 2026, Trump signs an executive order directing the Interior Department to determine whether gray wolves and Mexican wolves qualify for delisting or downlisting under the ESA and, if so, begin that process.
On Sept. 9, 2026, twenty states and Washington, D.C., sue the administration, challenging the revised definition of "harm" and other ESA rule changes that they say unlawfully weaken protections for endangered and threatened species.
On Sept. 14, 2026, an internal memorandum from US Fish and Wildlife Service Director Brian Nesvik instructs agency officials to adopt a narrower interpretation of the ESA's prohibition on "take" following repeal of the harm rule. The memo says a prohibited take occurs only when intentionally directed at a particular animal, potentially limiting enforcement.
The Interior Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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