It’s no longer illegal to destroy the one thing endangered species need most to survive

Red-cockaded woodpeckers are among the many federally endangered species that rely on forest habitat for survival. | Jared Lloyd/Getty Images The greatest threat to animals in the US and globally is the destruction of their habitat — replacing grasslands with farms, cutting forests for timber, building suburbs atop wetlands. It’s the main reason why hundreds of species have been listed under the Endangered Species Act, which gives federal protection to species that are currently at risk of…