One lawsuit was filed against the U.S. Fish and Wildfire Service (FWS) and another against FWS and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). 

“The federal government’s attempt to gut the Endangered Species Act threatens the habitats of orcas, sockeye salmon, and other endangered species that are part of our economy, culture, and way of life,” said Brown. “These illegal actions ignore the will of Washingtonians and people across the United States, who overwhelmingly support protecting endangered species.”

The first lawsuit challenges the rescission of the longstanding regulatory definition of "harm."

The second lawsuit challenges two rules changes by FWS that reduce protections for threatened species and create a new process for designating areas as "critical habitat."