"A draft assessment of the health of nature in the United States is grim but shot through with bright spots and possibility."

"Scientists and other experts were preparing a first-of-its-kind assessment of the health of nature in the United States when President Trump returned to the White House.

He canceled the report.

The researchers went ahead and compiled it on their own. This week, they released a 868-page draft for public comment and scientific review.

Many of the preliminary findings are grim: Freshwater ecosystems across the country are in crisis, “overdrawn, polluted, fragmented and invaded.” Marine and terrestrial ecosystems are degraded, with reduced biodiversity. An estimated 34 percent of plant species and 40 percent of animal species are at risk of extinction.

Human pressures on nature are eroding the necessities it gives us, such as clean water, food, health, livelihoods and protection from storms and fire. But there is hope, and the authors emphasized the ability to chart a new course."

Catrin Einhorn reports for the New York Times March 5, 2026. [2]