JoseCuervo
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Simply by striking a few key words from the law, it could be transformed from a tool to protect huge areas of habitat for imperiled species into little more than limits on hunting for protected animals, said J.B. Ruhl, a Vanderbilt University law professor considered a leading expert on the act.
Trump's position is unclear. A strong advocate for energy development, he has lamented environmental policies he says hinder drilling. But his appointment of Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke as Interior secretary was seen by some conservationists as a signal that Trump will support protections for public lands to the benefit of fish and wildlife.
The Trump transition team did not respond to requests for comment. The incoming administration already has immigration, the health care law repeal and infrastructure improvements atop its agenda.
If the administration or Congress wants to gut the law, "they certainly can do it," Vermont Law School professor Patrick Parenteau said. "The real question with the Endangered Species Act is where does it rank?"
Advocates and senior Obama administration officials argue the law's success is best measured by extinctions avoided — for 99 percent of protected species, including black-footed ferrets, whooping cranes, American crocodiles and hundreds of others.
"There's a lot of evidence that some species are conservation-reliant," Ruhl said. Political fights over certain species have dragged out for decades, he added, because recovering them from "the brink of extinction is a lot harder than we thought."
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GOP Advances Anti-Hunting and Anti-Fishing Agenda