EPA to open habitats of endangered species to logging and mining

The Trump administration has rolled back a key provision of the Endangered Species Act, allowing development, logging, and mining in habitats of endangered species. For decades, the ESA included protections against activities that could harm species indirectly, but this change narrows the definition of harm. This move is likely to accelerate habitat destruction, which is already the primary driver of species loss. Environmentalists are concerned this decision will lead to more species going extinct, undermining decades of conservation efforts.