Redefining Harm: Habitat Destruction May No Longer Count Under the ESA

On April 17, 2025, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA proposed a major change to how we protect endangered species: removing habitat loss from the legal definition of “harm” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). If this rule passes, altering or destroying a habitat that a rare species relies on would no longer count as harming that species—unless it is killed as an immediate result of the disturbance.

https://catskillcenter.org/blog/2025/5/13/redefining-harm-habitat-destruction-may-no-longer-count-under-the-esa?mc_cid=0a8554188e&mc_eid=a0d67db1ff