The U.S. Interior Department on Friday rescinded a regulation that automatically extended protections to species classified as threatened, marking the latest effort by the Trump administration to revise key elements of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The move alters the process by which plants and animals on the threatened list receive federal safeguards, shifting from a blanket approach to one that requires case-by-case protection plans.

Under the revised policy, newly listed threatened species will not receive automatic ESA protections. Instead, individualized rules must be developed, potentially prolonging the implementation of safeguards. Industries such as oil and gas, mining, and other developers operating in habitats where these species live may seek exemptions, raising concerns among environmental advocates.

Opponents argue the change weakens conservation efforts for vulnerable species awaiting protection, such as monarch butterflies and alligator snapping turtles. “If you’re exempting certain industries that cause habitat destruction, in many instances you’ll be exempting the main threat to those species,” said Noah Greenwald of the Center for Biological Diversity.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum defended the revisions, stating that the ESA has long been used to block projects, increase costs for families, reduce U.S. competitiveness, and potentially harm national security. “Success should be measured by species recovery and delisting, not by adding more species to the list,” Burgum said.

In addition to ending automatic protections, a second final rule requires economic considerations in designating critical habitat for listed species. Critics warn this could allow economic interests to undermine habitat preservation.

The automatic protection rule dates back to regulations first established in 1975 for animals and 1977 for plants. Changes made during Trump’s first term, which stripped these blanket protections, had been overturned by the Biden administration before being reinstated by the current administration.

Two groups—the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the Property and Environment Research Center—filed a lawsuit last year challenging the restoration of blanket protections. They argue that imposing the same restrictions on species reclassified from endangered to threatened discourages landowner involvement in recovery efforts. Jonathan Wood, vice president of the Montana-based research group, said the Trump administration’s approach better rewards conservation progress.

Since the beginning of Trump’s second term, no new species have been added to the threatened or endangered lists, contrasting with more than 20 additions during his first term and roughly 60 under President Biden. Approximately 30 species, including California spotted owls and various snakes, fish, clams, and insects, are currently proposed for listing as threatened.

The administration has accelerated policy changes related to endangered species protections during its second term. In March, oil and gas activities in the Gulf of Mexico were exempted from ESA restrictions, following concerns raised by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about lawsuits impeding domestic energy production amid tensions with Iran.

Recent changes also narrowed the definition of “harm” to a species, allowing development in critical habitat provided individual animals are not directly injured or killed. The critical habitat designation for the Canada lynx in the Rocky Mountains was significantly reduced. Additionally, Burgum announced plans to delegate more management authority over grizzly bears to states such as Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana, responding to longstanding Republican gubernatorial priorities.

The Endangered Species Act has been credited with recovering species like the California condor, bald eagle, and American alligator. Burgum noted that 97% of species once protected under the ESA continue to receive federal safeguards, a point of contention among Republican lawmakers who advocate for quicker removal of species from protection lists following recovery.