Endangered Species Act

The purpose of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is to protect and recover imperiled species and the ecosystems upon which they depend. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) administer the ESA. Under the ESA, species may be listed as either endangered or threatened. "Endangered" means a species is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. "Threatened" means a species is likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future. All species of plants and animals, except pest insects, are eligible for listing as endangered or threatened. For the purposes of the ESA, Congress defined species to include subspecies, varieties, and, for vertebrates, distinct population segments. As of March 2011, the FWS had listed 1,967 species worldwide as endangered or threatened, 1,372 of which occur in the United States. Decisions made under the ESA are based on the best scientific information available.

Source: https://www.fws.gov/le/USStatutes/ESA.pdf
Date enacted: December 28, 1973
Codification: 16 U.S.C. Sec. 1531 et seq.
Authority: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service