Melinda E Taylor in the Media

Bloomberg Law April 2, 2026

Trump ‘God Squad’ Oil Exemption Wades Into Murky Legal Territory

Senior Lecturer Melinda Taylor contends that the Trump administration is using national security as a pretext to bypass standards of the Endangered Species Act.

Bloomberg Law December 11, 2025

Trump’s Changes to What Harms Species Adds Risk in Logging Areas

Senior Lecturer Melinda Taylor comments on the potential detrimental effects of changing the definition of "harm" in the Endangered Species Act.

Bloomberg Law April 18, 2025

Trump Allows Migratory Bird Killings, Cancels Further Protection

Senior Lecturer Melinda Taylor predicts the courts will find the Trump administration's decision to allow unintentional bird killings under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act illegal, as was ruled previously.

Bloomberg Law February 11, 2025

Endangered Species Emerge as Trump’s Latest Takedown Target

Professor Melinda Taylor comments on the potential legal challenges that may arise from the Trump administration's proposed efforts to dismantle existing endangered species protections, which will be tested with the lesser prairie chicken case.

The Daily Texan January 31, 2025

UT Energy Institute to lead project to mitigate, monitor emissions in Permian Basin

Professor Melinda Taylor comments on the UT Energy Institute's new initiative to detect and fix methane leaks in pipelines and wells in the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico.

NRDC January 23, 2025

Are Our Public Lands on the Chopping Block Again?

Professor Melinda Taylor discusses the aspect of Project 2025 that, if implemented, would encourage offering public lands to private developers.  

Bloomberg Law January 7, 2025

Trump Vow to Restore Offshore Leasing Raises Unsettled Questions

Senior Lecturer Melinda Taylor anticipates legal challenges to Donald Trump's plan to reverse the Biden administration's block of new offshore oil and gas leases, explaining that pertinent law doesn't explicitly grant presidents the power to undo withdrawals.

Bloomberg Law November 7, 2024

Public Lands Outlook Under Trump to Face ‘Copious Litigation’

Professor Melinda Taylor discusses the implications of Project 2025 for oil and gas, mining industries, and private developers, explaining that this plan would decrease protections for federal land.

Bloomberg Law December 29, 2023

Lawyers See Qualified Success as Endangered Species Act Turns 50

Lecturer Melinda Taylor suggests that the Endangered Species Act implementation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is a weakness, with insufficient funding hindering effective enforcement.

Bloomberg Law December 27, 2023

Endangered Texas Oil Field Bird Shows Peril Protection Law Faces

Lecturer Melinda Taylor discusses the legal challenges faced by the Endangered Species Act in protecting the lesser prairie-chicken.

Fast Company January 22, 2021

The border wall is destroying ecosystems. Biden can fix it

Professor Melinda Taylor was interviewed by Fast Company for an article about the ecological damage caused by the miles of wall built by the Trump administration and how Biden can take actions to mitigate these problems.