Biden administration provides greater flexibility to protect endangered species

The Biden administration is providing greater flexibility for the Fish and Wildlife Service to protect endangered species because of climate change.

A new rule issued Friday from the Fish and Wildlife Service allows for “experimental populations” of endangered species to be introduced into habitats outside of where they have historically lived, removing a requirement that such populations only be introduced to the plant or animal’s “historical range.”

The rule states that the change is necessary because climate change and invasive species may limit the suitability of a species’s historic habitat.  

“The impacts of climate change on species habitat are forcing some wildlife to new areas to survive, while squeezing other species closer to extinction,” said Interior Department Secretary Deb Haaland in a written statement. 

“The Interior Department is committed to using all of the tools available to help halt declines and stabilize populations of the species most at-risk,” added Haaland, whose department oversees the Fish and Wildlife Service.