Threatened plants, animals could lose habitat protections

The Department of Interior announced Thursday controversial plans to roll back core provisions of the Endangered Species Act in what it describes as a bid to improve regulatory efficiency and reduce the burdens of such safeguards on landowners, industry and governments.

Under consideration is a proposal to rescind U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service policies that automatically extend habitat protections granted to endangered species to threatened species as well. Instead, Deputy Interior Secretary David Bernhardt said the agency wants to decide on a case-by-case basis whether to protect habitats of threatened species - animals and plants that scientists believe could soon become endangered.

Going forward,