Trump wants to use the 'God Squad' to increase logging, but it must follow strict rules

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Trump wants to use the ‘God Squad’ to increase logging, but it must follow strict rules

By TAMMY WEBBER
Updated 4:34 PM EST, March 4, 2025

President Donald Trump wants to increase logging in national forests and on public lands, including by bypassing endangered species protections.

To do that, the federal government would have to activate a seldom-used committee nicknamed the “God Squad” because it can approve federal projects even if it leads to extinction of a species otherwise protected by the Endangered Species Act.

But experts say there are strict procedural requirements — and no provision under law to proactively use the committee to bypass protections.

Here’s what to know:

What does Trump want?

The president on Saturday signed actions to increase domestic lumber production in national forests and other public lands, directing federal agencies to look for ways to bypass protections for endangered species.

-snip-

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/trump-logging-endangered-species-god-squad-5ddbbd117a480cdc60f5bc5580cd72ef

[eppur_se_muova]

1. What is the God Squad? (from the AP article)

The seven-member committee is led by the secretary of the Interior and includes the secretaries of Agriculture and the Army, administrators of the Environmental Protection Agency and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. Affected states also would be represented with one vote total, meaning multiple states would each get a fraction of a vote.

Five votes are required for an exemption.

So ... Turnip has appointed compliant P2025ers to six of the seven positions. How do you suppose they'll vote ?