Fish and Wildlife Service Fish and Wildlife Service MissionMission

Conserve, protect and enhance fish, Conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the for the continuing benefit of the American peopleAmerican people

Endangered Species ActEndangered Species ActPurposesPurposes

“… “… to conserve to conserve endangered and endangered and threatened species and threatened species and the ecosystems on which the ecosystems on which they depend.”they depend.”

Conservation Challenges

Dams

Pollution

Sedimentation

Agricultural

Unvegetated Land uses

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

Listing --Section 4

• Citizens 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

Five factors considered in determining whether a species is endangered or threatened:

1. Present or threatened destruction, modification, or curtailment of the species range or habitat

2. Over-use for commercial, recreational, scientific, or educational purposes

3. Disease or predation

4. Inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms

5. Other natural or man-made factors affecting the continued existence of the species

Listing--Section 4

GoalsGoals Reduce or eliminate threats to listed Reduce or eliminate threats to listed

animals and plantsanimals and plants• Restore self-sustaining wild populations Restore self-sustaining wild populations

• Remove species from the listRemove species from the list

Recovery--Section 4Recovery--Section 4

Critical Habitat—Section 4Critical Habitat—Section 4• Identify areas essential to the Identify areas essential to the

conservation of a species and conservation of a species and may require special management may require special management consideration or protectionconsideration or protection

• Economic impact analysis Economic impact analysis required, required,

• Seek public comment on Seek public comment on proposal to designate critical proposal to designate critical habitathabitat

• Designation does Designation does notnot create a create a park or preservepark or preserve

Requires Federal agencies to:• conduct programs to conserve

endangered and threatened species• ensure that actions they authorize,

fund, or carry out are not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of listed species or adversely modify critical habitat

If agency action may affect a listed species or critical habitat, the agency must initiate consultation with the FWS.

Private individuals are affected by sec. 7 when their action needs a Federal permit or funding.

Consultations

Formal consultation concludes Formal consultation concludes with Fish and Wildlife Service with Fish and Wildlife Service issuing a “biological opinion” issuing a “biological opinion” evaluating the action and evaluating the action and providing options, where providing options, where necessary. necessary.

Two possible outcomes:Two possible outcomes:

• Federal actionFederal action not likely not likely to to jeopardize species or jeopardize species or adversely modify critical adversely modify critical habitathabitat

• Federal action Federal action likelylikely to to jeopardize species or jeopardize species or adversely modify critical adversely modify critical habitathabitat

ConsultationsConsultations

Prohibited Acts--Prohibited Acts--Section 9

Listed plants are protected Listed plants are protected from commercial trade, from commercial trade, collection, or malicious collection, or malicious destruction on Federal lands, destruction on Federal lands, and similar actions that and similar actions that violate State law.violate State law.

Listed wildlife is protected Listed wildlife is protected from “take” and commercial from “take” and commercial trade.trade. Signs posted on nest trees of

endangered red-cockaded woodpeckers help prevent taking.

If actionIf action is not is not likely to likely to jeopardize, biological jeopardize, biological opinion includes:opinion includes:

• Incidental take Incidental take statement estimating statement estimating amount of take that may amount of take that may occur incidental to the occur incidental to the actionaction

• Reasonable and prudent Reasonable and prudent measures to minimize measures to minimize taketake

ConsultationsConsultations

The Fish and Wildlife Service issued a “no jeopardy” opinion to the Army regarding endangered birds at Fort Hood, Texas.

USFWS photo

The Fish and Wildlife Service issues section 10(a)(1)(A) permits for scientific purposes or to enhance the propagation or survival of a species.

A zoo may receive a permit to study or breed an endangered

species such as the giant panda.

San Diego Zoo photo

Permits--Section 10

The Fish and Wildlife Service issues incidental take The Fish and Wildlife Service issues incidental take permits to private landowners under section 10(a)(1)(B) permits to private landowners under section 10(a)(1)(B) provided an approved Habitat Conservation Plan is provided an approved Habitat Conservation Plan is developed. developed.

Habitat Conservation Plans are a tool for conserving Habitat Conservation Plans are a tool for conserving listed, proposed, and candidate species while providing listed, proposed, and candidate species while providing for development that will not “appreciably reduce the for development that will not “appreciably reduce the likelihood of the survival and recovery of the species in likelihood of the survival and recovery of the species in the wild.”the wild.”

Permits with Habitat Conservation Plans

Tallapoosa River

Other tools….

•Education and outreach•Habitat restoration and protection•Water conservation•Monitoring•ResearchGrants