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Environment & Climate

Trump administration limits endangered species protections for accidental deaths

A new directive ends penalties for inadvertently killing protected wildlife, according to ABC News.

Updated Sep 18, 2026 · 19:06 UTC1 reports

The short version

  • A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service directive states that inadvertently killing endangered species during commercial activities is no longer illegal.[ABC News]
  • The policy requires proof that protected species were intentionally targeted for a violation to occur under the Endangered Species Act.[ABC News]
  • Environmental groups and states are challenging the administration's broader rollbacks of species protections through legal action.[ABC News]

Key facts

  • Fish and Wildlife Service Director Brian Nesvik issued a Sept. 14 directive specifying that protected species must be intentionally targeted for an illegal action to occur.[ABC News]
  • The policy relies on a dissenting opinion written by former Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia in a 1995 case.[ABC News]
  • The new guidance aligns with an Interior Department rule issued in July that narrowed the legal definition of harm under the Endangered Species Act.[ABC News]

What remains uncertain

  • The long-term legal standing of the directive remains uncertain as multiple lawsuits filed by states and conservation groups progress through court.[ABC News]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.