Endangered Species Preservation Act

• Passed by Congress in 1966• Provided a means for listing native species as

endangered– Gave them limited protection

Endangered Species Preservation Act

• Government set out to protect listed species and preserve their habitats– Department of Interior– Department of Agriculture– Department of Defense

• US Fish and Wildlife Service could acquire land as habitat for endangered species

Endangered Species Preservation Act

• 1969 – amended to provide additional protection to species in danger of “worldwide extinction”– Prohibited importation and sale in the US

• Now called Endangered Species Conservation Act

CITES

• Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

• 1973 conference in Washington, DC• Monitors and restricts international commerce

in plant and animal species believed to be harmed by trade

Endangered Species Act

• Passed by Congress in 1973• Defined “endangered” and “threatened”– “Endangered” – any species in danger of

extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range

– “Threatened” – any species which is likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future

• Made plants and all invertebrates eligible for protection

Endangered Species Act

• US Fish and Wildlife Department oversees freshwater fish and all other species

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration handles marine species

• Species in both habitats are jointly managed

Endangered Species Act

• Federal agencies must work with US Dept of Fish and Wildlife and NOAA to ensure their actions don’t jeopardize listed species or their habitats

• Requires a “recovery plan” for each endangered or threatened species

Endangered Species Act

• “Endangered and threatened species are of esthetic, ecological, historical, recreational, and scientific value to the Nation and its people.”

• 1,214 animals are listed as endangered or threatened

• 750 plants are listed as endangered or threatened

• 249 species are candidates