Barriers to Endangered Species Act Delisting, Part I

PURPOSE:

• To explore barriers the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service face when making a determination and attempting to delist species from the ESA.

BACKGROUND:

• The Endangered Species Act (ESA) provides for the conservation of species endangered or threatened throughout all or a significant portion of their range, and the conservation of the ecosystems on which they depend.
• Approximately 2,258 species are listed as endangered or threatened under the ESA.
• In order for a species to be delisted, threats to the species must be eliminated or controlled, based on several factors including population sizes and trends and the stability of habitat quality and quantity.