U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

The ultimate goal of the Endangered

Species Act (ESA) is the recovery (and

subsequent preservation) of

endangered and threatened species

and the ecosystems on which they

depend. A variety of methods and

procedures are used to recover listed

species, such as protective measures to

prevent extinction or further decline,

consultation to avoid adverse impacts

of Federal activities, habitat acquisition

and restoration, and other on-theground activities for managing and

monitoring endangered and

threatened species. The collaborative

efforts of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service and its many partners

(Federal, State, and local agencies,

Tribal governments, conservation

organizations, the business community,

landowners, and other concerned

citizens) are critical to the recovery of

Endangered Species

Recovery Program

Frequently Asked Questions

listed species. As a result of these

efforts, the ESA has been credited

with saving many species from

extinction, including the California

condor, black-footed ferret, peregrine

falcon, and our Nation's symbol, the

bald eagle.

What exactly do we mean by recovery?

Recovery is the process by which the

decline of an endangered or

threatened species is arrested or

reversed, and threats removed or

reduced so that the species' survival in

the wild can be ensured. The goal of

the ESA is the recovery of listed

species to levels where protection

under the ESA is no longer necessary.

How does the recovery program work?

The Service’s Recovery Program staff

works with Federal, State, Tribal, nongovernmental entities, and private

landowners to take necessary

measures to prevent extinction of

species; prepare recovery plans to

ensure coordinated, effective recovery

actions; and implement actions to

reverse the decline of listed species

and expedite full recovery. Recovery

plans, documents prepared for listed

species that detail the specific tasks

needed for recovery, provide a

blueprint for private, Federal and

State cooperation in the conservation

of threatened and endangered species

and their ecosystems. The plan may

cover one species or several species.

Achieving species recovery on the ground

To stabilize and ultimately delist

endangered and threatened species,

the Service engages and encourages

the participation of multiple

stakeholders; the Recovery Program

requires the participation of all

landowners who do or could provide

key habitat for an endangered or

threatened species. We work closely

with other Federal agencies to ensure

that their activities do not adversely

impact a listed species and, whenever

possible, aid a species' recovery. The

recovery of many listed species cannot

be accomplished solely on our National

Wildlife Refuges, National Forests,

National Parks, and other Federal

lands; many species occur primarily or

solely on private lands. Achieving

recovery for most threatened and

endangered species therefore requires

cooperative conservation efforts on

private lands.

Flexible management of threatened

species

Section 4(d) of the ESA allows us to

establish special regulations for

threatened (not endangered) species.

These "4(d)" or "special rules" allow us

to customize the protections of the

ESA to match the needs of the species

and people. The Service develops 4(d)

rules for threatened species whenever

these rules provide effective

conservation results. For example, a

special rule was developed to benefit

the Apache trout. Apache trout may be

caught by anglers who attempt to

catch other fish species. To

accommodate this accidental capture,

the rule allows Apache trout to be

caught so long as they are returned to

the water. The revenues generated

from fishing in the waters inhabited by

the Apache trout helps promote

conservation of the habitat.

The California Condor Recovery Program

is built upon a foundation of private and

public partnerships. The focus of the condor

recovery effort is the release of captive

reared condors to the wild to ultimately

establish self-sustaining populations.

USFWS photo by Scott Frier
Safe Harbor Agreements for private

landowners

The Service is committed to enhancing

opportunities for private (non-Federal)

landowners to participate in the

conservation of listed and imperiled

species. One example is the "Safe

Harbor" program, which provides

regulatory assurances to non-Federal

landowners who voluntarily implement

measures that contribute to the

conservation of listed species on their

lands. These Safe Harbor Agreements

eliminate landowners' concern that

restoring habitat and allowing the

return of listed species to their

property might result in future land

use restrictions under the ESA.

Grants to States, Territories and

private landowners

The Service also offer grants for

endangered species conservation and

recovery. Working with our State

partners, the Service will award

approximately $106 million in Federal

funding in Fiscal Year 2002 (October

2001 - September 2002) under five

types of endangered species grants.

Reintroducing species back into their

historic range

Re-establishing a threatened or

endangered species in areas of its

former range is often necessary so that

there are enough populations or

individuals of the species to sustain

recovery of the species. To lessen

concerns against reintroductions

because they may also bring

restrictions on the use of private or

public lands in the area, Congress

added the provision for experimental

populations under section 10(j) of the

ESA. An experimental population is a

geographically described group of

reintroduced plants or animals that is

isolated from other existing

populations of the species. Species in

experimental populations are

considered to be threatened,

regardless of the species' designation

elsewhere in its range, allowing us to

develop special rules under section 4(d)

of the ESA. For example, the gray wolf

population that was reintroduced into

the northern Rockies has fewer take

prohibitions than listed populations

elsewhere. Flexible management of

this experimental population allows

landowners and livestock producers to

harass wolves that threaten livestock,

and in some cases also allows these

wolves to be killed by appropriate

authorities if they prey upon livestock.

These prescribed actions have reduced

potential economic threats to ranchers

while benefiting the recovering wolf

population.

Recovery efforts occur throughout the

Service

Many programs in the Service are

leading recovery efforts for species.

Many of our National Fish Hatcheries

are raising endangered or threatened

species; many of our National Wildlife

Refuges were established specifically

to protect listed species and many

other species. The Service's Partners

for Fish and Wildlife program offers

technical and financial assistance to

private (non-Federal) landowners to

voluntarily restore wetlands and other

fish and wildlife habitats on their land.

The program emphasizes the

reestablishment of native vegetation

and ecological communities for the

benefit of fish and wildlife in concert

with the needs and desires of private

landowners. Our Law Enforcement

program focuses on potentially

devastating threats to wildlife by

investigating wildlife crimes,

regulating wildlife trade, helping us

understand and obey wildlife

protections laws, and working in

partnership with international, State,

and Tribal counterparts to conserve

wildlife resources.

Who else helps to recover species?

The Service has cultivated many

recovery partnerships with the

conservation community. For example,

the Service established a national

partnership with the Center for Plant

Conservation to utilize their expertise

in plant conservation. Founded in 1984,

the Center is supported by a

consortium of 29 botanical gardens and

arboreta throughout the United

States. With approximately one out of

every 10 plant species in the United

States facing potential extinction, the

Center is the only national

organization dedicated exclusively to

conserving rare U.S. plants.

Another important conservation

partnership has been established with

the American Zoo and Aquarium

Association. Zoos and aquariums are

important partners in the Service's

propagation/reintroduction programs

for many listed species, such as the

Wyoming toad, Puerto Rican crested

toad, Karner blue and Oregon

silverspot butterflies, desert fishes,

and American burying beetle. An

added benefit of these recovery

projects is the opportunity to educate

millions of zoo and aquarium visitors

about endangered species.

What are some examples of recovery

efforts?

Delisted in 2001 due to recovery, the

Aleutian Canada goose has benefited

from both habitat restoration and

reintroduction into formerly occupied

habitat; translocation of young bald

eagles into formerly occupied habitat

is one factor contributing significantly

to eagle recovery; captive propagation

has increased the numbers of

whooping cranes and red wolves; and

land acquisition and cooperation

among the Service and the States has

protected important habitats for

Houston toads and other amphibians,

to cite a few examples.

Do recovery programs work?

Yes. But recovery is a challenge that

takes time. We are attempting to halt

or reverse declines that in some

instances have been more than 200

years in the making. Even in the face

of a substantial increase in the number

of species listed over the past decade,

the recovery efforts of the Service,

other Federal agencies, States, Tribal

governments, conservation

organizations, businesses, and private

landowners have successfully halted

and reversed the decline of many listed

species. Of all the species listed

between 1968 and 2000, only 7 -- or less

than 1 percent -- have been recognized

as extinct, and subsequently removed

from the list. The fact that almost 99

percent of listed species have not been

lost speaks to the success of the ESA

as a mechanism for conservation of

species that are at risk of extinction.

U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Endangered Species Program

4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Room 420

Arlington, VA 22203

703/358 2061

http://endangered.fws.gov/recovery

August 2002