Trump Administration Downlists Endangered Beetle

When the Obama Administration rejected the Keystone XL oil pipeline, it said the project would have devastated habitat for the American burying beetle. The Trump Administration favors Keystone XL and is now downlisting the beetle from “endangered” to “threatening.” Native to Nebraska and 34 other states and three Canadian provinces, the Fish and Wildlife Service says conservation efforts have improved habitat for the beetle. Noah Greenwald, endangered species director for the Arizona-based Center for Biological Diversity, says scientific data indicates that the beetle is even more endangered now, but President Trump’s administration is severely reducing its habitat protections.