Endangered Species Committee Exempts Gulf Oil and Gas Production in Rare Decision

The Endangered Species Act exemption is needed to ensure a reliable domestic supply of oil and gas for national security purposes, officials say.

An oil tanker passes at sunrise while a man fishes in Port Aransas, Texas, on Aug. 9, 2025. Eric Gay/AP Photo

In a rare meeting of the federal Endangered Species Committee on March 31 over national security concerns, Trump administration cabinet members voted unanimously to grant an exemption to shield oil and gas production in the Gulf of America from the Endangered Species Act.

Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, who served as committee chair, called the meeting in accordance with a section of the federal law after he received national security findings March 13 from Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.