The state of California has filed a lawsuit against the US government to block recent changes to the Endangered Species Act that conservationists say threaten animals and their habitats.

The sea otter may be adversely affected by changes to the US Endangered Species Act. Credit: K. SCHAFER/NHPA

The changes to the act, finalized by the Bush administration on 16 December 2008, allow federal agencies to undertake commercial activities, such as logging and mining, without getting external wildlife biologists to assess the environmental consequences of new projects. The rules also bypass the need to consider the effects of greenhouse gases on species and ecosystems.

Three US environmental groups — the Natural Resources Defense Council, the National Wildlife Federation and the Center for Biological Diversity — have filed similar lawsuits. President-elect Barack Obama has said that he opposes the last-minute changes to the act.