Reference Book Of Policies And Guidance For Implementing The Endangered Species Act Esa

This handbook is a guide to the federal Endangered Species Act, the primary U.S. law aimed at protecting species of animals and plants from human threats to their survival. It is intended for lawyers, government agency employees, students, community activists, businesspeople, and any citizen who wants to understand the Act--its history, provisions, accomplishments, and failures.

Endangered Species: Legal Requirements and Policy Guidance was developed as a tool to assist environmentalists in the use of existing source materials related to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), and to help them better understand what is expected and required for ESA and MMPA compliance. The book contains an introduction and overview of the threatened and endangered species programs, the statutes and applicable regulations, guidance memoranda, an excerpt from the Interagency Consultation Handbook, and a summary of selected precedent-setting or recent legal cases that interpret the ESA and MMPA and implementing regulations. The guide also contains definitions of numerous terms and a cross-index to trace particular issues throughout all of the source materials. The official documents are presented without editing of content or format, allowing one to follow an issue(s) through the laws, regulations, guidance, and court cases. This tool allows a student or an environmental professional to quickly and efficiently pull together all of the official guidance on a large number of common and some not-so-common endangered species issues. Available in both book and CD format.

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) is a far-reaching law that has sparked intense controversies over the use of public lands, the rights of property owners, and economic versus environmental benefits. In this volume a distinguished committee focuses on the science underlying the ESA and offers recommendations for making the act more effective. The committee provides an overview of what scientists know about extinctionâ€"and what this understanding means to implementation of the ESA. Habitatâ€"its destruction, conservation, and fundamental importance to the ESAâ€"is explored in detail. The book analyzes: Concepts of speciesâ€"how the term "species" arose and how it has been interpreted for purposes of the ESA. Conflicts between species when individual species are identified for protection, including several case studies. Assessment of extinction risk and decisions under the ESAâ€"how these decisions can be made more effectively. The book concludes with a look beyond the Endangered Species Act and suggests additional means of biological conservation and ways to reduce conflicts. It will be useful to policymakers, regulators, scientists, natural-resource managers, industry and environmental organizations, and those interested in biological conservation.

The Handbook provides internal guidance and establishes national policy for conducting consultation and conferences pursuant to section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. The purpose of the Handbook is to promote efficiency and nationwide consistency within and between the Services. The Handbook addresses the major consultation processes, including informal, formal, emergency, and special consultations, and conferences.