1900 Lacey Act Regulated interstate transfer of wildlife

1966 Endangered Species Preservation Act Authorized listing of 77 species, mostly vertebrates Authorized land acquisition

1969 Endangered Species Conservation Act Expanded list (worldwide species and invertebrates) Required measures to enlist international agreement

1973 CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora)

Agreement among 80 nations to ensure that trade does not threaten species survival

1973 Endangered Species Act• Gives joint authority to Fish and Wildlife Service

and NOAA (Fisheries) – must compile a list of all threatened and endangered species

• Allows protection for all species – endangered and threatened species may not be caught or killed. Their homes may not be uprooted. No part of their body may be sold or traded.

• Fed may not carry out any project that jeopardizes an endangered species.

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service must prepare a recovery plan for each threatened or endangered species.

Desert tortoise habitatUSFWS photo

American alligatorUSFWS photo

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Endangered Any species in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range

Key Definitions

Critical habitat USFWS photo

West Indian manatee USFWS photo

Oregon silverspot butterfly Photo by Jim Botoroff

Threatened Any species likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future

Critical Habitat Specific geographic areas with physical and biological features essential to the conservation of a listed species

Identifying species for possible designation as “endangered” or “threatened”

Petitioned for listing: the southern California mountain yellow-legged frog.

Listing

• Citizen may “petition” the Fish and Wildlife Service, or

• Fish and Wildlife Service may identify species through internal studies and discussion with States, academia, and other experts in the scientific community

Endangered and threatened species are found throughout the United States. More than 1200 species of fish, wildlife, and plants are currently listed.

Goals

• Reduce or eliminate threats to listed animals and plants

• Restore self-sustaining wild populations

• Remove species from the list

Whooping crane, a recovering species

Recovering listed species requires Fish and Wildlife Service and other Federal agency actions.

States and private landowners are critical recovery partners. The Fish and Wildlife Service assists through grants and other incentives.

The Los Angeles Zoo’s captive breeding program raises California condors for

release into the Ventana Wilderness Area.

• Delisting criteria identified in the species’ recovery plan

• Federal Register notice published and public comment sought on proposal to delist

• Recovered species monitored for five years

American peregrine falcon, delisted in 1999.

• Recognizes States’ key role in conserving wildlife and plants

• Provides funding to States with which the Fish and Wildlife Service has cooperative agreements

Six states have received funding to monitor and manage reintroduced

black-footed ferrets.

Several organizations work to protect species worldwide: World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Nature Conservancy Friends of Earth Greenpeace Sea Shepherd Conservation Society Many, many more

International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Gave rise to CITES – Convention on International

Trade in Endangered Species. Worked to stop the slaughter of African Elephants

for their tusks (made of ivory).

The Biodiversity Treaty Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1992. Wealthier countries give money to poorer

countries. George H.W. Bush refused to sign. Bill Clinton

signed a year later.