Confronting Conservation Concerns: Impact of Environmental Policies on Species Survival

A Biologist Reveals 3 Species That Are Closer To Extinction Under the Trump Administration

As I review the devastating impact of the Trump administration’s environmental policies, it’s essential to highlight the species that are on the brink of extinction. Unfortunately, my findings reveal three species that are sliding towards disappearance under the current administration’s lack of support and action.

Firstly, the red wolf (Canis rufus) is a uniquely American carnivore that has seen its population decline dramatically due to regulatory protections weakening. The 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocated funds for wildlife crossings on highways like US 64, which would have significantly reduced collisions and reconnecting fragmented wolf habitat. However, the Trump administration’s decision to freeze disbursement of these funds puts the project in limbo, leaving the species’ already tenuous grip on existence even more precarious.

Secondly, the ‘akikiki (Oreomystis bairdi) is an ancient avian lineage that clings to existence in Kaua’i rainforests. This small gray-and-white honeycreeper has lost nearly 90% of its population since 2018, and it’s estimated that there are fewer than five individuals remaining in the wild. The consequences of this administration’s lack of support are immediate; conservation efforts have been abruptly terminated, leaving the species’ habitat unguarded.

Lastly, the gray wolf’s red wolf cousin is not the only species under threat from the Trump administration’s actions. I must emphasize that these species, and many others like them, require our collective attention to survive.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/scotttravers/2025/04/15/a-biologist-reveals-3-species-that-are-closer-to-extinction-under-the-trump-administration/