U.S. Fish and Wildlife and National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration Review Regulations

In accordance with Executive Order 14154 and Secretarial Order 3418, "Unleashing American Energy," the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries have reviewed several regulations under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). As a result of this review, the USFWS are publishing four proposed rules. 

These four proposed rules were published in the Federal Register Friday, November 21, 2025, and include the following:

·       Revised regulations for listing species and designating critical habitat (50 CFR 424)   

·       Revised regulations for interagency cooperation (50 CFR 402) 

·       Revised regulations tailoring threatened species protections (50 CFR 17) 

·       Revised regulations for critical habitat exclusions (50 CFR 17) 

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These proposed changes are generally reinstating regulations from the Trump 1 administration that the WCCA previously supported, with other updates pursuant to a few supreme court decisions. 

The USFWS are hosting a series of webinars. The webinar schedule and links are listed below: 

·       Federal Agencies: Tuesday 12/2 from 3:00pm-4:00pm ET – Join Link

·       All Interested Parties: Tuesday 12/2 from 5:00pm-6:00pm ET – Join Link

·       State Agencies: Wednesday 12/3 from 1:00pm-2:00pm ET – Join Link

·       Federally Recognized Tribes: Wednesday 12/3 from 3:00pm-4:00pm ET – Join Link

Comments for each notice must be received within 30 days, by December 22. 

For additional information, go to:  Endangered Species Act Regulation Revisions webpage 

Pending any comments or concerns from you all, we can get started on our review and comments in preparation for the comment deadline.