Virtual Comment Writing - Help Protect The Endangered Species Act!

Photo of Cerulean Warblerfrom USDA/DJ McNeil via audubon.org.

Join us on December 12th at 12:00 PM for discussion of the recently proposed rules that would revert key Endangered Species Act (ESA) regulations. Next, we'll advocate virtually during an “advocacy power hour” where together we will write and submit public comments regarding the proposed revisions.

Background Information

On November 19, the the Department of the Interior’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced four proposed rules that would revert key Endangered Species Act (ESA) regulations to their 2019 and 2020 frameworks. These proposed changes would affect policies related to species listing and critical habitats, interagency cooperation, protections for threatened species, and criteria for excluding critical habitat.

The Endangered Species Coalition summarized the potential impacts in a press release, stating: "If finalized, the rules would bias listing decisions with unreliable economic analyses, obstruct the ability to list new protected species, and make it easier to remove those now on the federal endangered or threatened list. The rules would also make it harder to designate and protect critical habitats for threatened and endangered wildlife, to protect species impacted by changing environmental conditions, eliminate automatic protections for threatened species, reduce voluntary conservation incentives and weaken the consultation process."

NVBA's Action Plan

The public is encouraged to submit comments before December 22, 2025, at 11:59 PM EST. To promote environmental advocacy efforts, NVBA is hosting a virtual lunchtime comment-writing session for members to discuss these proposed changes and submit their own public comments on how these revisions could hinder conservation projects across the country. Together we will draft and submit comments at https://www.regulations.gov by searching the following docket numbers:

• FWS–HQ–ES–2025–0039 (Section 4)
• FWS–HQ–ES–2025–0044 (Section 7)
• FWS–HQ–ES–2025–0029 (Section 4(d))
• FWS–HQ–ES–2025–0048 (Section 4(b)(2))

Register to recieve the zoom invitation! Questions can be sent to mckenzie@nvbirdalliance.org.