Listen
The Trump administration has proposed some changes to the Endangered Species Act that would potentially have ramifications for Texas species awaiting protected status. And it could also have implications for the oil and gas industry.
The changes include allowing economic considerations for designating species or habitats as protected. However, vocal opposition to the plan accuses the administration of making a business-minded decision that would make it harder for certain species to receive that protected status and favoring companies who may want to use protected land.
In Texas, the dunes sagebrush lizard, currently waiting on protected status, lives in an oil-rich habitat that would not be usable by energy companies should it become protected. Another species awaiting protection in Texas is the lesser prairie chicken.
In audio above, Houston Matters producer Joshua Zinn talks with University of Houston law professor Tracy Hester to learn more about the history of the Endangered Species Act and what these proposed changes could mean.