Washington Sues Over Endangered Species Rule Changes | Spokane News

Washington State is launching two major lawsuits against the federal government over sweeping reinterpretations of the Endangered Species Act, arguing that new rules dangerously narrow what counts as “harm” — shifting from protecting habitats to only focusing on direct injury to animals. The state’s Attorney General calls the changes arbitrary and reckless, warning they’ll endanger species by allowing habitat destruction even if animals aren’t directly harmed. Meanwhile, another suit targets the removal of automatic protections for newly listed threatened species, now subject to economic and national security reviews — a move Washington says dramatically increases extinction risks. Federal agencies defend the changes as restoring common sense and respecting property rights, insisting they won’t impact species listings — but Washington insists these rules open the door to widespread ecological damage. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/5a09f2a45cea1219