The Endangered Species Act of 1973

1. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 Donald Qiu Period 3

2. Background • The Endangered Species Act was first created in 1973 and later amended in 1982,1985, and 1988. • It’s one of the dozens of United States Environmental Laws passed in the 1970s was Signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 28, 1973. • The ESA has lists of protected plant and animal species both nationally and worldwide.

3. Function/issues • The Endangered Species Act of 1973 was designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of economic growth and development untemper by adequate concern and conservation. • Once a species becomes listed as "endangered" or "threatened," it receives special protections by the federal government. Animals are protected from “take” and being traded or sold. • The primary goal of the Endangered Species Act is to make species' populations healthy so they can become extinct. • Once they are gone, they are gone forever and there is no going back. • An extinction of just one species can have major disturbance on the rest of the ecosystem because of the food chain.

4. Agency/Group responsible for regulation • The Act is administered by two federal agencies, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). • Under the ESA, the federal government has the responsibility to protect: • Endangered Species - species that are likely to become extinct throughout all or a large portion of their range. • Threatened Species - species that are likely to become endangered in the near future. • Critical habitat - vital to the survival of endangered or threatened species.