Endangered Species

Close up of a California condor. Its pink featherless head contrasts with its black feathers.

Protecting Endangered Species

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services provides national leadership in the recovery and conservation of our nation's imperiled plant and animal species, working with experts in the scientific community to identify species on the verge of extinction and to build their road to recovery. We work with a range of public and private partners to protect important habitat, increase species' populations and reduce the threats to their survival so that they can be removed from federal protection.

About the Endangered Species Act (ESA)

What we Do

Our work to conserve and recover endangered and threatened species includes listing species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and designating critical habitat, developing protective regulations for threatened species, developing and implementing recovery plans for listed species, monitoring and evaluating the status of listed species, and, cooperating with non-federal partners to develop conservation plans.

Candidate Conservation

Our Candidate Conservation program assesses species, and develops and facilitates the use of voluntary conservation tools for collaborative conservation of candidates, and other at-risk species and their habitats.

Butterfly with orange, brown, and white wings perched perched on a flower head gathering nectar with another butterfly on the backside of the flower head.

Listing and Classification

Through our Listing and Classification program, we determine whether to add a species to the federal list of endangered and threatened wildlife and plants.

Recovery

Our Recovery program develops and implements detailed, site-specific recovery plans for private, federal, and state cooperation in conserving listed species and their ecosystems.

A Hawaiian coot floats on the water. It is black with a white crown and red eye. The water sit still, reflecting a hue of the green trees around it.

Species Status Assessment

The Species Status Assessment (SSA) framework is an analytical approach developed by the Service to deliver foundational science for informing all ESA decisions.

Working With Partners

For 50 years, the ESA has prevented the probable extinction of hundreds of species across the nation and contributed to the recovery of many others. Additionally, other efforts using the Service's ESA tools have contributed to improving the status of unlisted or candidate species. Landowners – including private citizens, tribes, conservation organizations, businesses, state and local agencies, other federal agencies – have all contributed to these efforts.

The ESA provides a broad and flexible framework to facilitate conservation with a variety of stakeholders. We have a number tools to help our agency work with, leverage, and expand our existing network of conservation partnerships to produce effective conservation practices and conservation strategies on the ground.

Endangered monk seal nest to a Laysan albatross on a sandy shore

ESA Section 7 Consultation

Section 7 of the ESA directs all federal agencies to work to conserve endangered and threatened species, and to use their authorities to further the purposes of the Act. Section 7, also called "Interagency Cooperation," ensures actions taken by federal agencies do not jeopardize the existence of any listed species.

an olive green and yellow frog sits just above some water on a rock

Conservation Benefit Agreement (CBA)

These voluntary agreements involve private or other non-federal property owners with actions that contribute to the conservation or recovery of the agreement’s covered species. Covered species can include both species listed as endangered or threatened under the ESA, or non-listed species deemed at risk.

Candidate Conservation Agreement (CCA)

CCAs are voluntary conservation agreements between the Service and one or more public or private parties. The Service works with its partners to identify threats to candidate species, plan the measures needed to address the threats and then monitor their effectiveness.

A juvenile tortoise crawls through short plants and grasses growing in sandy soil.

Conservation Banking

Conservation banks are permanently protected lands that contain natural resource values. These lands are conserved and permanently managed for species that are endangered, threatened, candidates for listing as endangered or threatened, or are otherwise species-at-risk. Conservation banks function to offset adverse impacts to these species that occurred elsewhere, sometimes referred to as off-site mitigation. In exchange for permanently protecting the land and managing it for these species, the Service approves a specified number of habitat or species credits that bank owners may sell.

two people standing outside surrounded by green and brown plants

Habitat Conservation Plans

The Habitat Conservation Plan program creates creative partnerships that allow public and private sectors to work with the Service to address listed and at-risk species in an ecosystem context, generate long-term commitments to conserve such species, and deliver regulatory assurances to project proponents.

View of flower-covered slope with small lake in the background.

Habitat Conservation Plan Land Acquisition Grants

Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) Land Acquisition Grants, authorized through the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund and funded through the Land and Water Conservation Fund, provide funding to States and Territories to acquire land associated with approved and permitted HCPs. Grants do not fund the mitigation required of an HCP permittee; instead, they support land acquisition by the State or subrecipients that complement mitigation requirements.

Conservation Planning Assistance Grants

Conservation Planning Assistance Grants, available through the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund, provide federal financial assistance to states and territories to support the development of Habitat Conservation Plans and Conservation Benefit Agreements (formerly referred to as Safe Harbor Agreements and Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances).

Captive wolf stands on rock with trees in background.

Recovery Challenge Grants

The Recovery Challenge funding opportunity provides a unique financial assistance opportunity for non-federal partners – both new and longstanding – working on implementing high-priority recovery actions for species listed as endangered and threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), as identified by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) in species recovery plans.

Two park rangers near crouching over vernal pool. One points at something in the water.

Recovery Land Acquisition Grants

Loss of habitat is the primary threat to most species listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Land acquisition is often the most effective and immediate means of protecting habitat for these species, particularly in areas where development or land uses inconsistent with species recovery threaten to destroy, modify, or curtail key habitat attributes. Land acquisition is costly and often neither the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) nor states/territories individually have sufficient resources to acquire habitat necessary for listed species conservation.

Two curious animals with long necks and what looks like black masks around their eyes peek out from a burrow in the ground.

Traditional Conservation Grants

Traditional Conservation Grants, available through the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund, provide federal financial assistance to support the development and implementation of state and territorial programs to conserve and monitor species that are listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), as well as candidate and eligible unlisted species.

3-200-54: Enhancement of Survival Permits Associated with Conservation Benefit Agreements

Enhancement of survival permits are issued to non-federal property owners participating in a Conservation Benefit Agreement (CBA). Property owners who participate in this voluntary agreement take actions to benefit species while also receiving assurances that they will not be subject to additional regulatory restrictions as a result of implementing their conservation actions and associated ongoing land management.

A Mexican spotted owl perched in a canyon.

3-200-56: Incidental Take Permits Associated with a Habitat Conservation Plan

Incidental take permits may be sought when a non-federal entity believes their otherwise lawful activities may result in take of endangered or threatened animal species. A habitat conservation plan (HCP) must accompany an application for an incidental take permit. The habitat conservation plan associated with the permit ensures that the effects of the authorized incidental take are adequately minimized and mitigated.

3-200-59: Scientific Purposes, Enhancement of Propagation, or Survival Permits (Recovery Permits)

Recovery permits may be issued for purposes that are consistent with the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to assist in the recovery of endangered and threatened species. Under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) may permit any act otherwise prohibited by section 9 for scientific purposes or to enhance the propagation or survival of the affected species.

Young tortoise with prickly pear cactus in the background.

Species Status Assessment

The Species Status Assessment framework is an analytical approach developed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to deliver foundational science for informing all Endangered Species Act (ESA) decisions. An SSA is a focused, repeatable, and rigorous scientific assessment. The result will be better assessments, improved and more transparent and defensible decision making, and clearer and more concise documents. The Service is already seeing benefits from this approach.

Learn more about SSA Research

Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund

Grants for states and territories, offered through the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund, fund participation in a wide array of voluntary conservation projects for species listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act, as well as candidate species and at-risk species.

Learn about Grants

Endangered and Threatened Species Search

Find Species in Your State

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Information for Planning and Consultation (IPaC) Tool

Get an Official Species List

Identify your project location and receive an official species list of federal endangered and threatened species. IPaC is available to anyone, whether a private citizen or public employee, who needs information to help determine how certain activities may impact species protected under the Endangered Species Act.

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