Earthjustice Responds to Trump Executive Order Attacking Endangered Species in California Under the Guise of Wildfire Relief

President Trump issued an executive order directing his administration to take several actions that would imperil endangered species in California to benefit the state’s highest water users. This included invoking a provision under the Endangered Species Act that empowers a committee comprised of the president’s own appointees to decide the fate of an endangered species. This extinction committee would have the power to greenlight controversial projects that prioritize special interests, even at the cost of wiping out an entire species.

Bypassing the endangered listing status of the nearly extinct delta smelt and other threatened species would allow Trump to satisfy longstanding industry desires to route more water out of the San Francisco Bay Delta, despite the ecological consequences to the West Coast’s largest estuary.

Trump falsely claimed that the order would replenish water shortages for firefighting efforts in Southern California, where reservoirs have been “generally full of water” since the start of the year, according to water experts.

Earthjustice President Abigail Dillen responded with the following statement:

“Instead of providing relief that Californians desperately need right now to recover from deadly wildfires, President Trump is using this tragedy as an excuse to bypass the Endangered Species Act. This directive would strip away critical protections for vulnerable species in order to benefit special interests. The reality is the law still applies to this administration and if they break the law when trying to implement this order, we will look forward to seeing them in court.”