Protection and Recovery Using the Endangered Species Act
The purposes of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) are "to provide a means whereby the ecosystems upon which endangered species and threatened species depend may be conserved" and "to provide a program for the conservation of such endangered and threatened species." The ESA functions as the ultimate backstop when urgent steps are needed to prevent the extinction of a species. Once a species is listed as threatened or endangered, the ESA requires that federal agencies further the conservation of the species and ensure that their own activities are not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of such species or destroy or adversely modify their critical habitat.
The purposes of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) are "to provide a means whereby the ecosystems upon which endangered species and threatened species depend may be conserved" and "to provide a program for the conservation of such endangered and threatened species." The ESA functions as the ultimate backstop when urgent steps are needed to prevent the extinction of a species. Once a species is listed as threatened or endangered, the ESA requires that federal agencies further the conservation of the species and ensure that their own activities are not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of such species or destroy or adversely modify their critical habitat.
In the words of President Barack Obama:
"For more than three decades, the Endangered Species Act has
successfully protected our nation's most threatened wildlife, and we
should be looking for ways to improve it -- not weaken it."
March 3, 2009, Remarks by the President to Commemorate the 160th Anniversary of the Department of Interior
For more information on our work regarding ESA listing and the different ESA protections that result from a listing, click on the links below.
Take Prohibition: Limiting Harm to Species
