Transcript Biodiversity - Endangered Species Act Lecture Notes Page

UNDERSTANDING THE
ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT
What is the ESA?
• Federal Law : 1973 (USA), 1976 (Canada)
protecting wildlife & plants
• Conserve & recover species in
danger of extinction
• Preserve ecosystems that sensitive
species depend upon
• Each State also has their own laws
protecting species
FEDERAL AGENCIES IN CHARGE
• U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service in
the Dept. of
Interior
• National Marine
Fisheries Service in
the Dept. of
Commerce
• Terrestrial &
freshwater species
plus migratory birds
• Marine, estuarine, &
anadromous species
Examples of Federally
Listed Species
Bull trout
Mexican spotted owl
San Joaquin kit fox
Oregon silverspot
Giant kangaroo rat
California jewelflower
Indiana bat
Canada lynx
Piping plover
Desert tortoise
Number of U.S. Listed Species per
Calendar Year
Calendar Year
Total Number
(cumulative)
1980
281
1985
384
1990
596
1995
962
2000
1244
2002
1260
Species Recovery Plans
• Restore populations to sustainable levels
– Stop & reverse decline, remove threats
– Habitat protection or restoration, removal
of exotic species, clean up pollution,
captive breeding
• USFWS, State & Federal Agencies,
Universities, private institutions, local
stakeholders
• May take years
USFWS
Habitat Conservation Plans
• Agreements with private landowners:
allow resource harvest or development on
part of their land if endangered species on
their property benefit overall
– Restore habitat, fund conservation
research, remove exotic species
• 250 HCP’s (200 in progress)
– 18.5 million acres
ESA Successes
• Bald Eagle – Listed 1973
• >100,000 pairs in
lower 48 states
–417 pairs - 1963
• Hunting, DDT
• Downlisted (Threatened) 1995
• Still Endangered in California
American Peregrine Falcon
•Listed 1970 (324 pairs)
•DDT
•6,000 breed in captivity
& released
De-listed 1999
1,300 breeding pairs
(41 states)
More Recovered Species
Gray Whale
Canada Goose
Columbian
white-tailed
Deer
Red
Kangaroo
International Wildlife Treaties
• U.S./Canada/Mexico Trilateral
Committee for Wildlife & Ecosystem
Conservation & Management (1996)
• CITES - Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species (1975)
– 164 member countries
– Protects & regulates trade in
endangered species (live specimens
& products)
– > 700 species listed
American Alligator
(>1 million in the wild now)
•Listed
1967, De-listed 1987
Hunting & Habitat Destruction
American Peregrine Falcon
PRIMARY ROLE OF THE FEDERAL
LEAD AGENCIES (e.g. FWS, NMFS)
• Identification and listing of species
and critical habitats.
• Administration of coordination &
consultation provisions.
• Developing recovery plans.
DEFINITIONS
• Critical habitat: Areas with physical or
biological features that are essential to a
species conservation
• Both occupied range & its former range
– Areas may require protection or
special management
SOME DEFINITIONS:
• Endangered---In danger of extinction in
foreseeable future throughout its range, e.g.
Steelhead, California Condor
• Threatened---Likely to become endangered
in foreseeable future throughout its range,
e.g. Piping plover, Bog turtle.
• Species---Any species, subspecies, or distinct
population segment
DEFINITIONS (continued)
•Take ---To harass, harm, pursue, hunt,
shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or
collect, or to attempt to engage in any
such conduct.
–Violation of law carries criminal
penalties.