No. 1,358, July 16, 2026
New Rule Would Allow More Grizzly Deaths
The Trump administration just proposed a revised Endangered Species Act rule that would facilitate more killing of grizzly bears across the lower 48 states, where they’re still federally protected as threatened.
The rule would give states more flexibility when it comes to managing and killing grizzly bears. For example, in some areas the accidental killing of grizzlies in traps set for other species would no longer be a violation of the law.
Grizzlies already suffer from high mortality rates and can’t afford more killings. Only about 2,000 of these charismatic bears survive in just 6% of their historical range in four isolated northern Rockies locations.
“There’s no doubt this rule will lead to more dead grizzly bears,” said the Center for Biological Diversity’s Andrea Zaccardi. “We’ll continue our fight so grizzly bears get the protections they deserve.”
You can help with a gift to our Future for the Wild Fund.
Trump Slashes Bears Ears for Second Time
On Monday President Donald Trump issued a proclamation cutting nearly 3 million acres out of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments — about 90%. It’s a repeat, at an even more outrageous scale, of a similar action he took back in 2017 that was later reversed by President Biden.
This new attack, like the first, goes against the wishes of Western voters and the public at large. In revoking agreements with the Tribes in the region, it also dishonors Native sovereignty.
“Gutting Utah’s national monuments to enrich polluting extractive corporations is a national embarrassment,” said the Center’s Taylor McKinnon. “These monuments protect some of America’s most iconic landscapes and rich biodiversity. We’ll fight like hell to safeguard their future.”
Take action to save Bears Ears, Grand Staircase-Escalante, and all the other monuments that are now under fire.
Biodiversity Briefing: Hands Off the Act
As you've probably heard, the Trump administration just gutted the Endangered Species Act — stripping away vital habitat protection endangered species need to survive. We went to court immediately.
This is a pivotal moment, and the Act is the foundation for the Center’s fight to prevent extinction. So next week our Executive Director Kierán Suckling is hosting an exclusive call for members to discuss our work to save wildlife and wild places amid the worst assault we've ever seen on the Act.
Register now to join us Thursday, July 23, at 10 a.m. PST/11 a.m. MST/ 1 p.m. EST.
We welcome your participation in the Q&A session following the web presentation. Questions? Get instructions on event registration and the Q&A.
Advances for Turtles, Foxes, and Three Fish Species
In response to Center petitions, this week the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that five species warrant consideration for Endangered Species Act protection. The species are diamondback terrapins, coastal marsh turtles who live from Massachusetts to Texas; Washington’s Cascade red foxes; and three struggling fish who live only in an Oregon-California lake — Goose Lake lampreys, Goose Lake suckers, and Goose Lake tui chub.
Whether the Act can save these species, however, is now in serious question after the Trump administration finalized its rule attempting to erase nearly all habitat protection.
“If Trump’s gutting of habitat safeguards is allowed to stand,” said Noah Greenwald, endangered species codirector at the Center, “it will radically ramp up the extinction risk for these five species and many more across the country.”
Bath Time for Black Bears in the Borderlands
Need a break from the news this week?
Head to Facebook or Instagram to watch a family of black bears bathing in the borderlands.
Our Southwest Conservation Advocate Russ McSpadden caught this therapeutic footage on one of his wildlife cameras near the U.S.-Mexico border. It's just one brief glimpse of the spectacular wildlife we work to protect in this biodiverse region — also home to Sonoran pronghorns, lesser long-nosed bats, Quino checkerspot butterflies, cactus ferruginous pygmy owls, and larger predators like jaguars, Mexican gray wolves, and ocelots.
Join Us: Defending California From Fossil Fuels
The Trump administration keeps escalating its assault on California coastlines and public lands. Our state has some of the strongest environmental protections in the nation, but the administration wants to nix them so Big Oil can profit.
The federal government is now advancing a plan to lease California public waters and lands to extractive industries. It's also trying to debilitate the California Coastal Commission — a state agency that protects our coastal environments — and remove power from the courts to make it easier for the administration to greenlight fossil fuel projects.
We’re fighting back, and you can too. Join the Center and the Oil & Gas Action Network on Thursday, July 23, at 5 p.m. PT for a virtual call exploring how Californians can stand up for the ocean, wildlife, and public lands. You'll learn how you can get involved in protecting our state’s beloved wild places for future generations.
Don't miss out: Learn more and RSVP for the call.
Revelator: Captive Elephants
Riding elephants may seem fun, but it’s harmful to the animals — and that’s just one way India’s captive elephants are suffering. Two high-profile elephant deaths shine a light on the cruelty of this elephant servitude.
And if you haven’t yet, subscribe to The Revelator’s free weekly newsletter for more wildlife and conservation news.
That’s Wild: Robots Like Diving Birds
For most folks the word “robot” brings up images of a humanoid droid with clanky limbs and a tinny voice. Now a team of researchers at MIT have redefined the term with a set of light, graceful creations modeled after seabirds like puffins, petrels, kingfishers, and murrelets.
The new robots, engineered to operate in the ocean, can fly, dive, and swim, according to a study just published in Science. They can plunge into the water and — more difficult to achieve — leave it again. Their creators are still working to perfect them, but they hope the robots will have helpful applications like collecting data on harmful algal blooms and filming endangered marine animals.
