Federal Memo Proposes Exempting Accidental Killings from Endangered Species Act Protections

A leaked U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) memo indicates a significant policy shift that would no longer treat accidental killings as violations of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Conservationists warn this change could undermine a core protection for threatened species like grizzly bears and bull trout by effectively dismantling the incidental take permit system that regulates development in their habitats.