Even though we’re in the middle of an extinction crisis, the Trump administration is spending its last days in office trying to strip protections from endangered species. On Jan. 14, Earthjustice filed a suite of lawsuits to defend the Endangered Species Act and the creatures and landscapes it protects — including the iconic gray wolf and the verdant Florida wetlands.

Our lawsuits defend endangered species against four Trump administration attacks:

• A proposal to take away protections for gray wolves in the lower 48 states, including places like California where the wolves have only just begun to return
• A decision to give Florida developers a pass if they incidentally harm endangered species in the state’s wetlands
• The gutting of protections for habitat that needs restoration to meet wildlife’s needs, as well as areas that species will need in the future to survive the climate crisis
• A new rule that gives oil and gas, mining, logging, and other habitat-destroying industries outsized weight in decisions about which areas to protect for endangered and threatened species

Undercutting the Endangered Species Act is a terrible idea.

• The Endangered Species Act is one of the most effective environmental laws ever enacted, providing a critical last line of defense for flora and fauna facing extinction.
• At a time of unprecedented and accelerating extinction rates, we need to be protecting and strengthening effective conservation laws like the Endangered Species Act, not weakening them.
• Iconic wildlife such as gray wolves and grizzly bears depend on protections under the Endangered Species Act for their survival.

How can you help?