Another very interesting subject was presented by J. Curtis Rich, a lawyer admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and the State of Montana. The ESA became law in 1973 and was intended to provide a means whereby the ecosystems upon which endangered species and threatened species depend may be conserved and to provide a program for the conservation of such species. Ocean creatures are governed by National Marine Fisheries and all others are governed by US Fish and Wildlife Services. The ESA provides protection only to species listed as threatened or endangered. Endangered species means in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant part of its range.
Threatened species means likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future.
A species includes any subspecies of fish or wildlife or plants and any distinct population segment of any species of fish. The petition must include name, date, address, phone number, business or other affiliation. Then there is a 90 day finding when the petitioner may present information indicating whether the petition may be warranted. After that, there is a 12 month finding to determine whether or not to list. When a species is listed, any habitat of that species is considered to be critical habitat.