The current protections in…

The current protections in place for habitat exist for a reason, and the definition is really not that confusing. Every species has different habitat requirements that fit together like a puzzle piece to give us an idea of what the species needs to survive. In conservation, a quality habitat can exist for a species regardless of if that species is currently existing there or not. For example, conservation efforts underway for the Kirtland's Warbler are following an "if we built it, it will come" method, preserving known quality habitat for the species for it to one day find during migration and exist there. By narrowing the definition of habitat, we remove the protections that these quality habitats have, making the work that is going into protecting species at risk minimal. You cannot have a species without having the habitat, and having an Act to protect species at risk without protecting the habitat is redundant.