Federal change to Endangered Species Act could affect Vermont’s vulnerable wildlife

As the Trump administration rescinds the definition of “harm,” environmental experts explain what the change could mean for Vermont’s listed species and future environmental policy.

By: Erika Tally

Outlets: UVM's Community News Service

Published: August 13, 2026

Words: 983

Last Updated: 1 month ago

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Via Community News Service, a University of Vermont journalism internship

On July 10, President Donald Trump’s administration finalized a rule change that alters the definition of “harm” in the Endangered Species Act, loosening protections for endangered species and making them more vulnerable to habitat loss and extinction.

Passed in 1973, the act previously defined “harm” broadly to include any actions that injure or kill a protected organism, including “significant habitat modification …

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