DOJ Defends Rule Dropping ESA "Harm" Definition in Four Court Cases
The Justice Department announced Thursday that its Environment and Natural Resources Division has filed motions for summary judgment in four cases, defending a rule that rescinds the regulatory definition of "harm" under the Endangered Species Act. The cases are in the Northern District of California and the District of South Carolina. The definition has long decided whether destroying habitat counts as harming a protected species: the old definition included significant habitat modification; the new rule removes it. Environmental groups have sued in several states, and DOJ says these four are the first of the nationwide challenges to reach this stage of litigation. The rulings will shape how the Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service enforce the law nationwide — from California condors to migratory fish, protections for many California species hinge on this definition. GSM will follow the decisions. (From the DOJ announcement.)
Source: 司法部
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：加州神鹫近景（圣迭戈动物园）。摄影：Stacy，CC BY 2.0，来源：Wikimedia Commons
