Washington (CNN) The US Interior Department announced significant changes Monday that would weaken how the Endangered Species Act is implemented, a move critics fear will allow for more oil and gas drilling and limit how much regulators consider the impacts of the climate crisis.

The regulations reflect the Trump administration's latest move to overhaul the nation's environmental frameworks -- in this case, a law credited with saving the bald eagle and grizzly bear from extinction.

The overhaul changes how the Fish and Wildlife Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration consider whether species qualify for protections, as well as how the agencies determine what habitats deserve special protections. It could significantly lengthen how long it takes for a species to become protected, which could further endanger them, but the Trump administration says it allows the focus to be on the "rarest species."

"The best way to uphold the Endangered Species Act is to do everything we can to ensure it remains effective in achieving its ultimate goal -- recovery of our rarest species," Interior Secretary David Bernhardt said in a statement Monday. "An effectively administered Act ensures more resources can go where they will do the most good: on-the-ground conservation."

The final rule was panned by environmental groups that question Bernhardt's motives, given his past work representing oil and gas companies.

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