Laura Lundquist

(Missoula Current) Prompted by two Trump executive orders, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing changes to its Endangered Species Act rules, including one that would potentially reduce protections for species considered to be threatened.

On Wednesday, the Department of the Interior announced a proposal to change four rules related to the Endangered Species Act. The rule changes will be formally announced in Thursday’s Federal Register and a 30-day public comment period will start on Nov. 21.

Two rules deal with the designation of species’ critical habitat, and the changes would factor more economic and national security factors into designation decisions, potentially allowing more area to be excluded from designation. They would also redefine “foreseeable

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