For its supporters, the Endangered Species Act has proved to be one of the most effective conservation laws ever enacted. Many Americans believe that the ESA has saved numerous species from extinction. However, critics charge that the ESA puts too many restrictions on land and water development projects and is too expensive for the results that it achieves.
By the mid-nineteenth century many governments had developed an interest in wildlife conservation and an awareness of the need to protect natural habitats. In 1861 painters of the Barbizon school established the first French nature reserve, which covered nearly 3,458 acres of forest at Fontainebleau near Paris. Three years later the American government set aside the Yosemite Valley in California a…
Passed by the U.S. Congress in 1973, the Endangered Species Act was substantially amended in 1978, 1982, and 1987. The ESA is administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). The U.S. Department of Commerce, through the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), is responsible for most marine (ocean-based) species and those that are anadromous (m…
Under the Endangered Species Act there are five criteria that must be evaluated before a decision is made to list a species: The primary status codes assigned to listed species are E for endangered and T for threatened. However, there are numerous other status codes for specific types of listings as shown in Table 2.2. Details of these listing actions are provided in the sections below. In Februar…
Once a species becomes listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act it is afforded the following protections: Civil and criminal penalties can be levied for violations of these provisions. However, exemptions are granted for native peoples of Alaska that rely on certain endangered or threatened animals for food or other products needed for subsistence. In addition, section 4…
In a 2004 speech to the American Farm Bureau Federation, Gale Norton, Secretary of the Department of the Interior, described the Endangered Species Act as follows: "it is a powerful law designed for confrontation." Many confrontations over the law have taken place in the courts. The ESA includes provisions for civil lawsuits against government agencies alleged to be in violation of t…
Various federal agencies spend money in support of the ESA. The primary spending agency is the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a division of the Department of the Interior. For accounting purposes the federal government operates on a fiscal year that begins in October and runs through the end of September. Thus, fiscal year 2007 covers the time period of October 1, 2006, through September 30, 2007…
Opponents of the Endangered Species Act believe the law violates private property rights and stifles economic growth by curbing development. They also charge that environmental protection often results in the loss of jobs and business profits. TABLE 2.8 The ten listed species with the highest expenditures under the Endangered Species Act, fiscal year 2004 "Table B. The Ten Species with the …
Other critics argue, on the other hand, that the ESA is not enough. In May 2005 a group of ten prominent scientists sent a letter to the U.S. Senate in which they urged strengthening of the Act. The letter was spearheaded by Professors E. O. Wilson of Harvard University and Paul Ehrlich of Stanford University. It warns that Earth is facing an "extinction crisis" and that large number…
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