07/17/2026
The bald eagle is one of America’s greatest conservation success stories. As a wildlife photographer who spends hundreds of hours observing animals, I’ve learned that wildlife doesn’t just need protection from direct harm. It needs healthy forests, rivers, wetlands, and coastlines where animals can feed, nest, hunt, and raise their young.
The recovery of bald eagles didn’t happen simply because we stopped killing eagles. It happened because we protected habitats and for decades, the Endangered Species Act recognized that destroying an endangered species’ habitat could itself constitute “harm.” This week, the Trump administration removed habitat destruction from the Act’s definition of “harm,” making it harder to use the ESA to protect the forests, rivers, wetlands, and other places endangered wildlife needs to survive.
Habitat loss is the greatest threat facing most endangered species. If we stop protecting their homes, we shouldn’t be surprised when we lose the animals too.
➡️If you’d like to help:
• Donate to support the Center for Biological Diversity’s legal challenge to this change to the Endangered Species Act (link in bio)
• Contact your members of Congress to voice your concern and demand stronger protections for endangered species and their habitats.
