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Threatened Species Protection Rollback Studied by White House

Threatened Species Protection Rollback Studied by White House

A baby manatee surfaces for air in the clear freshwaters of Blue Springs Park river run to St. John's River in Florida. (Michael Wood/Dreamstime)

By    |   Thursday, 05 April 2018 12:56 PM EDT

The White House is considering a threatened species protection rollback that could knock off 300 animal and plant species from government oversight, CNN reported.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service protects species either with specific protections or what is called the Blanket Section 4(d) Rule. About 70 species have specific rules, and 300 are covered by the blanket rule, CNN noted.

An entry from the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs issued Monday listed the title: "Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Regulations for Prohibitions to Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Removal of Blanket Section 4(d) Rule."

CNN reported that the Fish and Wildlife Service has used the blanket rule for 40 years to cover the majority of threatened species, the category considered at risk of endangerment under the Endangered Species Act.

Fish and Wildlife spokesman Gavin Shire said, though, that safeguards for the currently protected species would not change, but declined to elaborate or offer a draft under the proposed new rule, CNN wrote.

"Any proposed changes will go through a full and transparent public review process that provides ample opportunity for interested parties to provide input that we will consider to help us ensure these regulations are effective in furthering the ESA's ultimate goal -- recovery of our most imperiled species to the point they no longer need federal protection," Shire said in a statement, per CNN.

The news of the possible challenge to the Blanket Section 4(d) Rule comes as the Austin American-Statesman learned last week that former Texas official Susan Combs, who has criticized protection rules in the past, could be named by the Trump administration as acting assistant secretary for fish, wildlife and parks.

Combs, described by the newspaper as a rancher and veteran of Texas state government, has long championed private property rights. Combs served as state comptroller, where she fought with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over restrictions imposed by the Endangered Species Act, which she viewed as an impediment to the state's business development, the American-Statesman wrote.

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TheWire
A threatened species protection rollback that could knock off 300 animal and plant species from government oversight is being studied by the White House.
white house, threatened, species, protection
336
2018-56-05
Thursday, 05 April 2018 12:56 PM
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