The Endangered Species Act of 1973 aims to protect and recover imperiled species and the ecosystems they depend on. It defines endangered species as those in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of their range, and threatened species as those likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is responsible for identifying species as endangered or threatened and writing and implementing recovery plans with various stakeholders. The ESA prohibits taking listed animals and trading in listed plants and animals, and requires designation of critical habitats for listed species.

1. Endangered Species Act

2. …it expressed concern that native WHAT were in danger of becoming extinct?
When Congress passed the Endangered
Species Act (ESA) in 1973…

3. Answer: Imperiled species and the ecosystems on which they depend
The purpose of the ESA is to protect and
recover what?

4. Terrestrial and fresh
water organism
Marine wildlife

5. Answer: Endangered or Threatened

6. Answer: a species is in
danger of extinction throughout all
or a significant portion of its range.
“Endangered” means:

7. Answer: FALSE. “Pest” insects are not eligible for listing as endangered or threatened.
True or False? All species of plants and
animals, including pest insects, are eligible for
listing.

8. In March 2011, the FWS listed
_____ species worldwide as endangered
or threatened, of which ____ occurred in the
United States.

9.  1)damage to, or destruction of, a species’
 habitat
 2) overutilization of the species
 for commercial, recreational, scientific,
 or educational purposes
 3) disease or predation
 4) inadequacy of existing protection; and
 5) other natural or manmade factors that
affect the continued existence of the species.

10.  The FWS also maintains a list of “candidate”
species. These are species for which the FWS
has enough information to warrant proposing
them for listing but is precluded from doing
so by higher listing priorities.
While listing actions of higher priority go forward,
the FWS works with States, Tribes, private
landowners, private partners, and other Federal
agencies to carry out conservation actions for these
species to prevent further decline and possibly
eliminate the need for listing.

11. The ESA protects endangered and
threatened species and their habitats by
prohibiting the “____” of listed animals
and the interstate or international trade in
listed plants and animals, including their
parts and products, except under Federal
permit.

12. …defined as “to harass, harm,
pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap,
capture, or collect or attempt to engage in
any such conduct.”
The ESA makes it unlawful for a person to take a
listed animal without a permit. “Take” is… ?

13. The term “____” is defined as “an act
which actually kills or injures wildlife.”

14. Who writes and implements these plans with
the assistance of species experts; other
Federal, State, and local agencies;
Tribes; nongovernmental organizations;
academia; and other stakeholders?

15. It is extremely rare that a
project ends up being withdrawn or
terminated because of jeopardy to a
listed species.
True or False?

16. The ESA also requires the designation
of “________ _______” for listed species.

17. Options:

18.  Landowners may
receive a permit to
take such species
incidental to otherwise
legal activities,
provided they have
developed an approved
habitat conservation
plan (HCP).

19.  Assessment of the
likely impacts on the
species from the
proposed action
 Steps that the permit
holder will take to
avoid, minimize, and
mitigate the impacts
 Funding for HCP

20.  Non-Federal landowners
voluntarily aid in the
recovery of listed species
by improving or
maintaining wildlife
habitat. Under SHAs,
landowners manage the
enrolled property and
may return it to originally
agreed-upon “baseline”
conditions for the
species and its habitat at
the end of the
agreement.

21.  Conservation
agreements (CCAs) are
voluntary agreements
between landowners
and one or more other
parties to reduce or
remove threats to
candidate or other at-
risk species.

22. Conservation Banks

23. U.S. is a party to C.I.T.E. S. -Convention on
International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora – 175 nation agreement
International Efforts to Protect Species

24. Access the latest publication of listed animals and listed plants as published in
the Government Printing Office's Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants
50 eCFR 17.11 and 17.12, which is updated daily.
Search Endangered Species Database