Habitat Should Not Be An Endangered Term

May 19, 2025

By Rose Snyder and Liz Chamberlin, Point Blue Conservation Science

In April, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service announced a joint proposal to remove the regulatory definition of the term “harm” from Endangered Species Act regulations. This change would significantly reduce habitat protections for endangered species, which have been proven enormously effective at preventing species extinctions. In May, Point Blue submitted a public comment letter strongly opposing the proposed change that was based strongly on Point Blue’s six decades of experience researching wildlife populations.

The science is clear that habitat is essential for the survival of wildlife and biodiversity. Without explicit habitat protections in place, endangered species will be at much greater risk of extinction, and species not yet listed as endangered will be at greater risk of population declines and listing. Read more in our opinion piece in The Hill.

Rose Snyder is Director of Community Engagement and Liz Chamberlin is Director of Innovation at the California-based non-profit Point Blue Conservation Science.