Endangered Species Act

A federal judge denied a request to pause California water infrastructure projects, ruling that environmental groups did not prove the projects violate the Endangered Species Act. The projects, including the Central Valley Project, are accused of harming fish species like Chinook salmon and steelhead trout due to changes in water temperature and salinity.

The Trump administration partnered with a biobank to store samples from every animal and plant protected under the Endangered Species Act. The initiative aims to preserve cells and DNA of imperiled species.

The Ninth Circuit ruled that the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation must comply with the Endangered Species Act when operating the Klamath Irrigation Project, affirming a lower court's decision. The 2-1 ruling emphasized that the ESA applies to the Bureau's operations and that water users' rights are subject to ESA requirements. The majority rejected claims of judicial taking and confirmed the lower court's jurisdiction.

A federal judge has ruled that a lawsuit against Maui County over claims that streetlights disorient and kill endangered seabirds must proceed to trial. Conservation groups allege the county's streetlights violate the Endangered Species Act by harming three protected species, while the county disputes the causal link between its lighting and bird deaths.

A bill in Arizona, sponsored by Sen. David Farnsworth, would prohibit transporting Mexican Gray Wolf pups into the state or using public funds for them. State Sen. Sylvia Allen linked wolf conservation efforts to a 'global government' conspiracy and blamed wolves for high beef prices. The Mexican Gray Wolf, endangered since 1976, faces opposition from ranchers and legislators seeking delisting from the Endangered Species Act.

Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk, a 38-year-old from Washington, faces federal charges for allegedly hurling a rock at an endangered Hawaiian monk seal in Maui, as his lawyer claims he was doxxed and threatened following the viral video. Lytvynchuk's defense asserts he never intended to injure the seal, arguing he was trying to protect the species, though he could face up to a year in prison and $50,000 in fines if convicted.

Arizona is creating new ponds in the White Mountains to aid the recovery of the Chiricahua leopard frog, a species listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The Arizona Game and Fish Department and the Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy are collaborating on the project, which aims to counter population decline caused by drought and climate change.

The Catalina Island foxes were once nearly extinct, but thanks to conservation efforts, they are now considered a success story. The recovery is one of the fastest of any mammal protected under the Endangered Species Act. Conservationists are celebrating their rebound on Endangered Species Day.

The Trump administration and congressional Republicans attempted to weaken the Endangered Species Act but faced a setback when the House canceled a vote on the legislation. Concerns from some lawmakers, including Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, contributed to the cancellation.