Species Protection Biological Conservation

1
Species Protection/ Biological Conservation

• Why is species protection an important issue?
• Sentimental appeal
• Ecological diversity
• Utilitarian view
• Philosophical view
• Sanctity of life view

2
Endangered Species Act

• What is an endangered specie?
• A specie which is in danger of becoming extinct
  throughout all or a significant portion of its
  range.
• What is a threatened specie?
• Any specie which is likely to become endangered
  within the foreseeable future throughout all or a
  significant portion of its range.

3
Endangered Species Act

• Specie includes plants, animals and fish
• Take means to harass, harm, pursue, hunt,
  shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or
  attempt to engage in any such conduct.
• Critical Habitat includes the specific areas
  which are essential to the conservation of the
  species and which may require special management
  consideration or protection.

4
Economics and the ESA

• Determining if species is endangered or
  threatened the economic impact of the
  designation decision is NOT considered.
• In setting a protected species critical
  habitat, however, economic impact of the
  designation decision IS considered. Exclude
  areas where costs exceed benefits.

5
Endangered Species Act, Sec 7

• a) Each federal agency shall insure that any
  action authorized, funded or carried out by such
  agency is not likely to jeopardize the
  continued existence of any endangered species or
  result in destruction or adverse modification of
  habitat of such species unless the agency has
  been granted and exemption for such action.

6
Endangered Species Act, Sec 9

• a) Except as provided in the Act, it is unlawful
  for any person subject to the jurisdiction of the
  United States to
• Import species into or export species from the
  U.S.
• Take any species within the U.S. or its
  territorial seas
• Take any such species on the high seas

7
Endangered Species Committee

• Exemption from section 7
• No reasonable and prudent alternative to agency
  action.
• Benefits of the action outweigh benefits of
  alternatives that conserve the specie.
• The action is of regional or national
  significance.
• No irreversible commitment of resources.

8
Endangered Species Act

• Enforcement action includes civil fines and
  criminal fines and imprisonment.
• Plants, fish or wildlife taken can be forfeited
  in a civil action.
• In a criminal action, whatever is used to
  accomplish the taking can be forfeited also.
• Citizen suit opportunity after prior notice to
  the Secretary