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It wouldnt make much sense to prohibit people from shooting a threatened woodpecker while allowing its forest to be cut down, or to bar killing endangered salmon while allowing a dam to dry out their habitat. But thats exactly what the Trump administration is proposing to do by changing how one word in the Endangered Species Act is interpreted: harm. For 50 years, the U.S. government has interpreted the Endangered Species Act as protecting threatened and endangered species from actions that either directly kill them or eliminate their habitat. Most species on the brink of extinction are on the list because there is almost no place left for them to live. Their habitats have been paved over, burned or transformed. Habitat protection is essential for their survival. The golden-cheeked warbler breeds only in Texas, primarily in Texas Hill Country. It has been losing habitat as development expands in the region. [Photo: Steve Maslowski/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service] As an ecologist and a law professor, we have spent our entire careers working to understand the law and science of helping imperiled species thrive. We recognize that the rule change the Trump administration quietly proposed could green-light the destruction of protected species habitats, making it nearly impossible to protect those endangered species. The public, which has long supported the Endangered Species Act, has until May 19, 2025, to comment on the proposal. The legal gambit The Endangered Species Act, passed in 1973, bans the take of any endangered species of fish or wildlife, which includes harming protected species. Since 1975, regulations have defined harm to include habitat destruction that kills or injures wildlife. Developers and logging interests challenged that definition in 1995 in a Supreme Court case, Babbitt v. Sweet Home Chapter of Communities for a Great Oregon. However, the court ruled that the definition was reasonable and allowed federal agencies to continue using it. In short, the law says take includes harm, and under the existing regulatory definition, harm includes indirect harm through habitat destruction. Critical habitat throughout the U.S., including many coastlines and mountain areas. Note: Alaska, Hawaii not to scale. [Map: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service] The Trump administration is seeking to change that definition of harm in a way that leaves out habitat modification. This narrowed definition would undo the most significant protections granted by the Endangered Species Act. Why habitat protection matters Habitat protection is the single most important factor in the recovery of endangered species in the United States far more consequential than curbing direct killing alone. A 2019 study examining the reasons species were listed as endangered between 1975 and 2017 found that only 17% were primarily threatened by direct killing, such as hunting or poaching. That 17% includes iconic species such as the red wolf, American crocodile, Florida panther and grizzly bear. In contrast, a staggering 81% were listed because of habitat loss and degradation. The Chinook salmon, island fox, southwestern willow flycatcher, desert tortoise and likely extinct ivory-billed woodpecker are just a few examples. Globally, a 2022 study found that habitat loss threatene more species than all other causes combined. [Chart: The Conversation, CC-BY-NDSource: Matthias Leu, et al, 2019 Get the data Embed Download image Created with Datawrapper] As natural landscapes are converted to agriculture or taken over by urban sprawl, logging operations and oil and gas exploration, ecosystems become fragmented and the space that species need to survive and reproduce disappears. Currently, more than 107 million acres of land in the U.S. are designated as critical habitat for Endangered Species Act-listed species. Industries and developers have called for changes to the rules for years, arguing it has been weaponized to stop development. However, research shows species worldwide are facing an unprecedented threat from human activities that destroy natural habitat. Under the proposed change, development could be accelerated in endangered species habitats. Gutting the Endangered Species Act The definition change is a quiet way to gut the Endangered Species Act. It is also fundamentally incompatible with the purpose Congress wrote into the act: to provide a means whereby the ecosystems upon which endangered species and threatened species depend may be conserved [and] to provide a program for the conservation of such endangered species and threatened species. It contradicts the Supreme Court precedent, and it would destroy the acts habitat protections. Northern spotted owls, like these fledglings, living in old growth forests in the Pacific Northwest are listed as threatened species because of habitat loss. [Photo: Tom Kogut/USFS, CC BY] Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum has argued that the recent de-extinction of dire wolves by changing 14 genes in the gray wolf genome means that America need not worry about species protection because technology can help forge a future where populations are never at risk. But altering an existing species to look like an extinct one is both wildly expensive and a paltry substitute for protecting existing species. The Catalina Island fox is endemic to Catalina Island. Habitat loss, diseases introduced by domestic dogs, and predators have diminished the population of these small foxes to threatened status. [Photo: Catalina Island Conservancy/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA] The administration has also refused to conduct the required analysis of the environmental impact that changing the definition could have. That means the American people wont even know the significance of this change to threatened and endangered species until its too late, though if approved it will certainly end up in court. The ESA is saving species Surveys have found the Endangered Species Act is popular with the public, including Republicans. The Center for Biological Diversity estimates that the Endangered Species Act has saved 99% of protected species from extinction since it was created, not just from bullets but also from bulldozers. This regulatory rollback seeks to undermine the laws greatest strength: protecting the habitats species need to survive. Congress knew the importance of habitat when it passed the law, and it wrote a definition of take that allows the agencies to protect it. Mariah Meek is an associate professor of integrative biology at Michigan State University. Karrigan Börk is a professor of law at the University of California, Davis. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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E-Commerce
Environmental Protection Agency head Lee Zeldin has said he wants the federal agency to accelerate scientific safety evaluations of various chemicals, including pesticides. The EPA reportedly has more than 500 pending reviews of proposed new pesticides and more than 12,000 overdue reevaluations of pesticides currently in use. The agency is under pressure from the chemical and agricultural industries to catch up, while health and environmental advocates demand it maintain high safety standards. The review process is careful for a reason and perhaps the only real method of speeding it up is the one Zeldin has proposed: reassigning staff so there are more people to share the work. As a faculty member at a land-grant university who has studied the effectiveness of commercial and experimental pesticides in the southern U.S., I have seen how the federal pesticide regulatory process identifies risks to humans and the environment and mitigates them with specific use instructions. Heres how the process works. First, what is a pesticide? The EPA, which regulates pesticides in the U.S., defines a pesticide as any substance or mixture of substances intended to prevent, destroy, repel or mitigate any pest, such as weeds, insects and organisms, that attack plants. Pesticides are often referred to as toxins when found in food, water bodies or other places where they are not intended. But just because something is detected doesnt mean its harmful to humans or wildlife. Toxicity depends on how much of the substance a person or animal is exposed to, how they are exposed to it such as breathing it, or getting it on their skin and for how long. The Department of Agriculture began regulating pesticides in 1947 with the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. Most of the departments interest was whether a particular pesticide was effective against the target pests. In 1970, the newly formed EPA took over responsibility for pesticides. It shifted its focus to the safety of consumers, farmworkers and the environment after the Federal Environmental Pesticide Control Act took effect in 1972. Risk-benefit analysis Federal law requires the EPA to evaluate both the risks and the benefits of each pesticide and to revisit that analysis at least every 15 years for every pesticide used in the U.S. The EPA determines whether the risks to people, animals or the environment are too high for the benefits the pesticide provides and whether any of those risks can be reduced. Sometimes a chemicals risk can be lessened by recommending mitigation strategies such as wearing protective clothing, reducing environmental spread by barring the use of pesticides near the edges of a property, or decreasing the amount of a pesticide thats legal to use. In its analysis of any given pesticide, the EPA requires a massive amount of data from the manufacturer about what ingredients the pesticide contains and how they work. The agency also reviews scientific research on the pesticide and uses its own scientists and independent experts to evaluate any studies that were submitted by the manufacturer. The EPA uses all the available data on a pesticide to evaluate the dose that would be toxic to a range of organisms, as well as what residues the pesticide may leave on plants, in the soil and in water. The data is incorporated into computer models that estimate the potential amount of the chemical that may come in contact with humans, animals and the environment. Those models results are then combined with toxicity data to determine risk. The models used by EPA scientists are very conservative. They often use significant overestimates of exposure, which means that when the models determine the risk of a pesticide is below a particular level, they are evaluating the risk posed by far higher quantities of the chemical than will ever actually be used. The risk from the amount actually used, therefore, is even less likely to cause harm. The EPA also provides opportunities for public comment on a pesticide and uses that information in its evaluations as well. Additional scrutiny The Endangered Species Act also requires the EPA to evaluate the effects of pesticides on threatened and endangered species. If a pesticide is found to potentially be dangerous to a protected species or its habitat, the EPA will discuss those findings with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service, which enforce the Endangered Species Act, and determine what to do to ensure the species arent harmed. The laws requirement to reevaluate each pesticide every 15 years is based on the fact that science evolves and information becomes more precise. New data can shed light on potential risks and benefits, and even lead to pesticides being banned or more closely restricted. Until recently, for instance, pesticide residues on plants, food and in the environment were measure in parts per million. Newer equipment can measure even smaller amounts, determining parts per billion, which is as precise as identifying one single second in 32 years. Some chemicals can even be measured in parts per trillion, equivalent to one drop of water in 20 Olympic-size swimming pools. That means exposures can be more accurately measured. While some chemicals can be toxic in very small concentrations, most pesticides can be detected at levels that do not pose a biological risk. Allowing a pesticide to be used If the EPA determines that a pesticides risks outweigh its benefits, then its staff will conduct additional analyses to determine how to mitigate the risks enough to justify using it. If thats not possible, the EPA will reject the application and not allow the pesticide to be used in the U.S. If the agency determines that the benefits outweigh the risks, the EPA approves the pesticide for sale and use in the U.S. The law requires the pesticide come with a label providing a strict set of guidelines for how, when and where to use the pesticide. The guidelines define amounts and timing for applying the pesticide safely, and specific restrictions or protection strategies to control the target pests while eliminating or minimizing harm to the environment, workers and the public. The EPA also makes information on pesticides available to the public, so anyone can find out how to use them safely. Using the pesticide without following those directions is a violation of federal law. Jeffrey Gore is a professor of agricultural science and plant protection at Mississippi State University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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E-Commerce
Life is full of bittersweet moments, such as when children leave a happy home to strike out on their own. Big Bear bald eaglets Sunny and Gizmo, the offspring of California’s internet-famous eagles Jackie and Shadow, are getting ready to do just that. And the eagle family’s one-million-plus social media followers can watch them fly from the nest for the first time. This act is known as fledging and can happen anytime between 10-14 weeks old. The official fledge window for the eaglets started on Tuesday, and fans who love watching the eagles on the live nest web camera operated by the nonprofit Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV) hope the eaglets take their sweet time. At last check on Wednesday afternoon, the live YouTube stream had more than 43,000 viewers. Lets take a look at how Sunny and Gizmo got here. A brief history of the Big Bear bald eaglets Back in January, Jackie laid a clutch of three eggs for the first time. This rare act was especially exciting because Jackie and Shadows eggs haven’t hatched for a couple of seasons. These three eggs went all the way, hatching on March 3, 4, and 8. Sadly, after a big winter storm, one of the chicks had passed away. FOBBV held a naming contest where anyone in the world could suggest a moniker. The names were then voted on by local third, fourth, and fifth graders. The names Sunny and Gizmo were chosen by the kids while the name Misty was given to the deceased chick by FOBBV to honor the late volunteer Kathi Misterly. Last month, the Sunny and Gizmo discovered how to flap their wings. Being the older sibling, Sunny even got some air before Gizmo. The mischievous youngster got Sunny back by winning a flapping battle in May. During the second week of May, Jackie and Shadow trusted Gizmo and Sunny enough to leave them home alone in the nest overnight. (They didnt throw a party.) It is only a matter of time now before these two former fluff balls go all the way. If you are a gambler, you can enter FOBBV’s contest and take a guess on when that might be. Simply fill out a form on the nonprofit’s website with the time and date that you think each eaglet will take wing. There is no money at stake, but you could win bragging rights and a cool certificate from the organization, so its totally worth it. How can I stream the bald eagle cam live? You can watch the action at the nest cam’s live YouTube link or via the embedded video below. Whats next for the Big Bear bald eaglets? After Sunny and Gizmo take their first flight, they will hang out around Big Bear Lake for a couple of months. They still have much to learn from their parents about being an adult, including how to hunt and fish. They may even return to the nest, but it will take some time to get their wing strength up to par, as the nest is a high flight up a Jeffrey pine tree. After they are a bit more confident, the world is their oyster. Since they dont have to worry about rent, bald eagles have a wide range, being seen in areas extending from British Columbia to Yellowstone to Baja California.
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E-Commerce
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