Trump-era rule strips habitat protection, endangering the Saltmarsh Sparrow

In July, the Trump administration’s Interior and Commerce departments declared that the Endangered Species Act protects only the species themselves, excluding their habitats, overturning decades of precedent. The Saltmarsh Sparrow, a shy Atlantic tidal-marsh bird, has seen its population plummet by nearly 90 percent since the late 1990s, primarily because rising sea levels increasingly flood its nests. Although scientists warn the bird could become the first mainland U.S. species to vanish under the ESA era, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has not listed it as endangered or threatened.

The Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit in February, alleging the agency’s failure to issue the legally required 90-day finding on its petition and to complete the subsequent 12-month review. Lawyers argue the agency’s delays are part of a broader backlog that existed before the Trump administration, but statutory deadlines remain binding. Meanwhile, state-level efforts in Massachusetts aim to restore marshes, though some agency staff question whether formal listing would bring additional resources. Conservationists contend that protecting the sparrow’s habitat also shields coastal communities from flooding, linking the bird’s fate to broader climate-adaptation needs.