US states sue Trump administration for weakening endangered species protections

Sept. 9 (Reuters) - U.S. states filed two lawsuits on Wednesday accusing President Donald Trump's administration of illegally weakening the federal Endangered Species Act, a landmark law that has shielded the bald eagle and other wildlife from dangers posed by development.

In one lawsuit, states challenged a rule that narrowed the law's definition of harm, which had long included encroachments on habitats where endangered animals live. The new rule allows oil drilling, mining and other activities in those habitats so long as those activities do not directly kill or injure the animals.

The other lawsuit challenges two rules. One rule eliminates broad protections for newly threatened species unless the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service creates species-specific protections. The second rule requires the government to consider objections by developers, fossil fuel companies and other businesses before declaring areas as "critical habitats."