We’re celebrating the news that a federal court struck down President Trump’s attacks against the Endangered Species Act (ESA), restoring key values of the bedrock environmental law to the status it held for decades before the first Trump administration tried to dismantle it.  

“This decision shows that courts will not simply rubber-stamp efforts to erode the Endangered Species Act,” said Jennifer Best, director of Friends of Animals’ Wildlife Law Program. “While this case addresses specific regulations that started with the last Trump administration, the current administration has continued to propose new rules that weaken protections for threatened and endangered species. Any future regulations will need to grapple seriously with the court’s reasoning.” 

Best pointed out that the ESA has a high success rate since its enactment in 1973, with 99% of listed species avoiding extinction. 

“Friends of Animals has submitted comments opposing recent proposals to once again gut the Endangered Species Act and remains committed to upholding this bedrock law,” Best added.

Friends of Animas has also submitted several legal petitions to U.S. federal agencies to gain protections for animals who are in danger of extinction largely due to human exploitation. Some of the species we have submitted petitions for include the following: giant devil ray, Egyptian tortoise, spider tortoise, flat-tailed tortoise, and long-tailed chinchilla. 

Friends of Animals’ efforts have secured ESA protections for four populations of scalloped hammerhead shark, three rare parrot species, four species of sturgeon, and the queen conch.