Barriers to Endangered Species Act Delisting, Part II

PURPOSE:

• To continue the examination of the current 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 Endangered Species Act (ESA).

BACKGROUND:

• The 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.

INVITED WITNESSES:

Dan Ashe
Director
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service