Nov 20, 2025
WASHINGTON, DC., — The America the Beautiful for All Coalition strongly objects to the Trump Administration’s two recently proposed regulatory rollbacks to bedrock environmental laws: the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ proposed revision to the "Waters of the United States" (WOTUS) rule, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) series of four proposed rules to weaken the Endangered Species Act.
ATTACKS ON THE CLEAN WATER ACT
The USEPA’s proposed rule would be a devastating rollback of necessary protections for the nation's wetlands and waterways under the Clean Water Act.
The proposed rules follow other attacks against safe water and healthy wildlife by the Trump administration this year, including one that would allow for the destruction of species’ habitat, proposals to rescind the Roadless Rule and Public Lands Rule, and an effort to convene a committee of the President’s own appointees to effectively decide the fate of endangered species.
This proposed WOTUS rule, announced Monday, November 17th by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, would strip federal safeguards from the vast majority of America's wetlands, leaving them vulnerable to pollution, destruction, and development. By limiting federal jurisdiction to only "relatively permanent" water bodies, the EPA is abandoning its responsibility to protect the interconnected aquatic ecosystems that sustain our communities, wildlife, and climate.
"Wetlands are not puddles to play with; they are vital natural infrastructure that filter our drinking water, buffer our communities from floods and storms, recharge our groundwater, and provide habitat for countless species," said Usman Mahmood, America the Beautiful for All Coalition Freshwater Workgroup Co-Lead and Policy Analyst at Bayou City Waterkeeper in Houston, TX. "Removing federal protections doesn't make these functions disappear; it ensures they will be destroyed over time."
America the Beautiful for All Freshwater Workgroup Co-Lead Martin Castro of Rio Grande International Study Center in Laredo, TX commented, “In places like South Texas, wetlands protect us from stormwater runoff and sustain the wildlife and cultural waterways that define our region. Removing their federal protections undermines decades of progress in public health, climate resilience, and ecological restoration.”
ATTACKS ON THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT
As summarized by Coalition member Earthjustice, the proposed rules to weaken the Endangered Species Act would:
Deprive newly listed threatened animal and plant species from automatically receiving protections from killing, trapping, and other forms of prohibited “take.” Species now proposed for listing, like the Florida manatee, California spotted owl, Greater sage grouse, and Monarch butterfly could be left unprotected for years even after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service finalizes the listings.
Narrow the definition of “critical habitat” to exclude currently unoccupied but historic habitat. Historic habitat is vital for recovery of imperiled species, especially as the areas where they currently live shrink due to the rapidly changing climate and the chain effects of ongoing biodiversity loss.
Loosen compliance measures for federal agencies to make it easier to greenlight destructive actions, like logging or drilling, that put a protected species in harm’s way.
Violate the letter of the law by allowing “economic considerations” in decisions about whether to protect species that are scientifically shown to be at risk of extinction. With this rule, the federal government could decide against protecting an endangered species after considering lost revenue from prohibiting a golf course or hotel development to be built where the species lives.
“These Trump proposals to weaken the Endangered Species Act amount to an extinction plan for our most treasured wildlife,” said Susan Holmes, Executive Director, Endangered Species Coalition. “For the last fifty years, the Endangered Species Act has been a global model for recovering species from manatees to wolves to the bald eagle. Reinstating rules that scientists have rejected would put these species and more back on the path to extinction.”
If the American people do not rise up and stop these rulemakings, consequences could be dire. For example, we could see:
Drinking water at risk: Millions of Americans depend on wetlands to filter pollutants and recharge the aquifers that supply their drinking water. Without federal oversight, these wetlands face contamination from industrial discharge, agricultural runoff, and development.
Communities left vulnerable: Wetlands act as natural sponges, absorbing floodwaters and protecting downstream communities. As climate change intensifies extreme weather events, eliminating wetland protections will exponentially increase flood risks for families and businesses.
Wildlife habitat destroyed: Wetlands provide important breeding, feeding, and migration habitat for waterfowl, fish, and several other species. This rule threatens to accelerate wildlife deaths and tears at the web of life we all depend on.
CALLS TO ACTION
The America the Beautiful for All Coalition unequivocally opposes these proposed rules. We call on all who care about safe water, healthy wildlife, and a livable future for our communities to:
Submit public comments opposing these rules during the comment periods. The federal registry accepting public comments may be found here.
Support challenges to these unlawful rollbacks in the courts and in the halls of policymakers.
Engage with state and local officials to strengthen local protections where possible, and support Tribal leadership for the stewardship of nature.
Tell everyone! Spread the word among your colleagues, friends, and family about these threats to our communities’ health, safety, and vitality. [Instagram] [BlueSky] [LinkedIn] [Facebook]
Donate. Equip the America the Beautiful for All Coalition and our approximately 300 member organizations with financial resources to break down silos in our movement and build collective power to stop these destructive policy proposals in their tracks.
The Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act have both protected America's waterways and wildlife for more than 50 years. Our wetlands, our waters, and communities deserve better.
