'Trump's Proposal Would Dig a Graveyard': CBD Slams Leaked Info on US Wildlife

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Newly leaked portions of Donald Trump's infrastructure framework show that his administration intends to weaken key sections of the Endangered Species Act, possibly leading to the extinction of hundreds of species of plants and animals, the Center for Biological Diversity's (CBD) government affairs director Brett Hartl said.

"Trump's proposal would dig a graveyard for our most imperiled wildlife and bury America's natural heritage,"  Center for Biological Diversity government affairs director Brett Hartl said in a statement on Monday. “We can and should restore our infrastructure without this reckless scheme to let corporate polluters annihilate endangered animals and contaminate our air and water.”

The existence and contents of the document were first reported by the news site Axios on January 22.

One of the key elements of Trump's proposal is to delegate more authority to states to develop their own conservation plans, a dangerous proposal, according to an analysis of key provisions contained in the CBD statement.

"This proposal would allow states to write their own conservation plans regarding how to mitigate the harms of their own activities, effectively putting the fox in charge of the henhouse," the statement said. "Most state fish-and-game agencies are woefully underfunded and understaffed, which is the primary reason wildlife continues to decline across the United States."

Trump's proposal could result in hundreds of endangered species going extinct, the statement added.