The Trump administration is considering a different way to manage endangered species. The new approach is based on an algorithm that would channel funds toward plants and animals that have the greatest chance of survival—and away from others.
The equation was originally discussed by the Obama administration, but some experts think that as President Trump looks to cut funding for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which oversees the Endangered Species Act, by billions of dollars, the current White House might be more keen to approve what’s called “conservation triage,” says Reuters.
Arizona State University ecologist Leah Gerber—a self-proclaimed Democrat and environmentalist—presented the idea to Fish and Wildlife Service officials last month at a closed-door meeting.
“I just don’t think it’s possible to save all species, even though I would like to. That’s an uncomfortable thing to say and I don’t like it, but that’s the reality,” she said.
Gerber argued that “as many as 200 additional species could be saved by directing funds away from species such as the iconic northern spotted owl—whose numbers have declined despite millions of dollars spent on conservation efforts—and toward those with a better chance of survival,” reports Reuters.
But some environmentalists have pushed back, claiming that the better strategy would be to increase funding. Gerber told Reuters, however, that even if the federal government stops funding a species’ recovery, conservation nonprofits and other groups could step in.