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Nick Brown and a coalition of 21 attorneys general sue the administration over weakened Endangered Species Act protections

Nick Brown, the Washington State Attorney General, co-leads a coalition of 21 attorneys general who filed two lawsuits on Wednesday against the administration for weakening the federal Endangered Species Act. The lawsuits challenge new rules that make it easier for developers and fossil fuel companies to disturb lands and habitats of endangered species. One lawsuit targets the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for narrowing the definition of "harm," which previously included habitat modification. The new rule allows activities like mining and oil drilling in sensitive habitats as long as they are not directed immediately and intentionally at specific animals. A second lawsuit targets the Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service. It challenges rules that eliminate broad protections for newly threatened species and require the government to consider business objections before declaring areas as "critical habitats." The coalition argues these changes undermine the law's original intent and favor business interests over conservation. The administration defended the rules, stating that federal agencies should faithfully implement the law as written rather than expanding its reach through interpretations favored by advocacy groups.

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