How do I submit a public comment on Endangered and Threatened Species?

The public comment window for this decision closed on June 15, 2026. The record of what was at stake stays on this page.

When is the public comment deadline for Endangered and Threatened Species?

The comment window closed on June 15, 2026.

Do public comments actually change federal decisions?

Yes, when they are substantive. Agencies are legally required to read and respond to substantive comments before finalizing a rule, and specific personal comments about real places and real uses carry far more weight than identical form letters. Courts have overturned rules when agencies ignored substantive comments.

Protective action worth supporting

Support Endangered and Threatened Species

Endangered and Threatened Species; Notice of 12-Month Findings on a Petition To List the Tope Shark as Threatened or Endangered Under the Endangered Species Act and Proposed Listing of Two Distinct Population Segments of Tope Shark as Threatened

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration· Southern Africa, Southwest AtlanticFederal Register 2026-07294 ↗

ESA Wildlife Ocean Fisheries

NMFS has completed a status review of the tope shark and proposes to list two of its six distinct population segments, the Southern Africa and Southwest Atlantic populations, as threatened under the ESA. The remaining four populations in the Northeast Atlantic, Northeast Pacific, Southwest Pacific, and Southeast Pacific don't meet the threshold for listing. This affects fisheries managers, fishing industries, and conservation organizations that work with shark populations in the affected ocean regions.

In the agency’s own words

We, NMFS, have completed a comprehensive status review of the tope shark (Galeorhinus galeus) in response to a petition to list the species as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973. After reviewing the best scientific and commercial data available, we have determined that this species is comprised of six distinct population segments (DPSs) and that two, the Southern (So.) Africa and Southwest (SW) Atlantic DPSs, are likely to become in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of their ranges in the foreseeable future. Therefore, we propose to list the So. Afri…

Federal Register 2026-07294 ↗

The reporting behind this

From More Than Just Parks

Trump Administration to Legalize Killing of Endangered SpeciesSep 17, 2026

A memo signed by Fish and Wildlife Service Director Brian Nesvik rewrites the heart of the Endangered Species Act without a vote, a rule, or a single public comment.

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