Sawt Falasteen - Trump seeks species protection rollbacks to promote US drilling

A directive signed late Monday by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum gives agencies 15 days to submit plans to unleash US energy, which critics say would weaken the Endangered Species Act and open up fragile landscapes from the Arctic to the Grand Canyon and even national monuments for exploitation.

"Today marks the beginning of an exciting chapter for the Department of the Interior," said Burgum, whose close ties to the fossil fuel industry drew sharp rebuke from environmentalists during his confirmation hearings.

"We are committed to working collaboratively to unlock America's full potential in energy dominance and economic development to make life more affordable for every American family while showing the world the power of America's natural resources and innovation."

The order aims to reverse bans on drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and offshore waters, sweeping restrictions imposed by former president Joe Biden.

It also seeks to rescind a rule that reinstated long-standing protections for birds against unintentional but preventable deaths caused by oil spills, mining pits, and building collisions.

Remarkably, it contains a directive to review safeguards for all national monuments -- a list of 138 historic landmarks that include sites such as Bears Ears in Utah, which was proclaimed by former president Barack Obama before Trump ordered its size to be reduced by 85 percent during his first term.

Environmental groups warn the move would accelerate the decline of animal and plant species.

- Birds and lizards threatened -

"Even as imperiled species dwindle and vanish across America, this order will fan the flames of the extinction crisis," said Noah Greenwald of the Center for Biological Diversity.

Taylor McKinnon, who oversees the Center's Southwest region, went further: "By making all national monuments available for review and possible termination, this order could be the most sweeping attack on public lands in the history of public lands."

Since its 1973 enactment, the Endangered Species Act has been credited with saving iconic species such as the gray wolf, bald eagle and grizzly bear from extinction.

But under Trump's first administration, key provisions were weakened -- allowing economic considerations to influence decisions on species protections. Biden later rolled back those changes, and now Trump is pushing to reinstate them.

Greenwald told AFP that species like the greater sage grouse, lesser prairie chicken, and sagebrush lizard -- whose habitats overlap with the Greater Permian Basin, the nation's top oil-producing and fracking site -- would be at heightened risk.

"Donald Trump made it clear on Day One what his priorities for public lands and waters would be, and these orders are the next step in his reckless 'drill, baby, drill' agenda," said Athan Manuel, director of the Sierra Club's Lands Protection Program.

Q.Najjar--SF-PST