E&E NEWS • March 30, 2026
A coalition of environmental groups scored a win Monday in a long legal battle when a federal court tossed out a set of regulatory rollbacks that undercut Endangered Species Act protections. The ruling comes after nearly a decade of legal combat that began under the first Trump administration to challenge how the federal government evaluated the risks to vulnerable species before advancing new projects. The decision is also likely to hobble current efforts to further weaken the landmark species law, environmental groups said. The administration is taking other actions that could put endangered species at risk. A court has also cleared the way for the administration to convene its Endangered Species Committee — the so-called “God Squad” — on Tuesday to decide whether to override ESA protections for species.