Bald Eagles in Jamaica Bay. Photo: Don Riepe
The Endangered Species Act
In November 2025, the federal government proposed four changes to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) that, if approved, would weaken protections for wildlife and their habitats.
Right now, the ESA provides legal protections for endangered and threatened species and the habitats they depend on. It is the most effective conservation law ever passed, saving 99% of listed species from extinction.
If implemented, the four proposed changes would:
🌳 Make it easier to leave important habitat unprotected
⛽ Let more harmful projects move forward with less oversight
🦅 Weaken protections for many threatened species
🏗️ Create more loopholes to remove habitat from protection
⛽ Let more harmful projects move forward with less oversight
🦅 Weaken protections for many threatened species
🏗️ Create more loopholes to remove habitat from protection
