California sues over Trump’s changes to Endangered Species Act, arguing they threaten habitat

The state of California filed two lawsuits on Wednesday challenging recent changes made to the Endangered Species Act under the Trump administration. The legal action seeks to block regulatory modifications that the state argues will jeopardize critical wildlife habitats and undermine the efficacy of the 50-year-old conservation law.

State officials contend that the Endangered Species Act has been instrumental in the recovery of species such as the California condor and the sea otter. By pursuing this litigation, California aims to preserve existing protections and prevent the implementation of policy shifts that critics fear could weaken the long-term survival prospects of threatened and endangered populations.