Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/18pdf/17-71_omjp.pdf
Page Number: 6

Cite as:  586 U. S. ____ (2018) 

3 

Opinion of the Court 

eradication  of  the  frog’s  habitat  sent  the  species  into  se-
vere  decline.  By  2001,  the  known  wild  population  of  the 
dusky  gopher  frog  had  dwindled  to  a  group  of  100  at  a 
single  pond  in  southern  Mississippi.    That  year,  the  Fish
and  Wildlife  Service,  which  administers  the  Endangered
Species Act of 1973 on behalf of the Secretary of the Inte-
rior,  listed  the  dusky  gopher  frog  as  an  endangered  spe-
cies.  Final  Listing  62993–62995;  see  87  Stat.  886,  16 
U. S. C. §1533(a)(1). 

B 

When  the  Secretary  lists  a  species  as  endangered,  he 
must  also  designate  the  critical  habitat  of  that  species.
§1533(a)(3)(A)(i).  The ESA defines “critical habitat” as: 

“(i)  the  specific  areas  within  the  geographical  area 
occupied  by  the  species  . . .  on  which  are  found  those 
physical or biological features (I) essential to the con-
servation  of  the  species  and  (II)  which  may  require
special management considerations or protection; and 
“(ii) specific areas outside the geographical area oc-
cupied by the species . . . upon a determination by the
Secretary that such areas are essential for the conser-
vation of the species.”  §1532(5)(A). 

Before  the  Secretary  may  designate  an  area  as  critical
habitat, the ESA requires him to “tak[e] into consideration 
the  economic  impact”  and  other  relevant  impacts  of  the 
designation.  §1533(b)(2).  The statute goes on to authorize
him to “exclude any area from critical habitat if he deter-
mines  that  the  benefits  of  such  exclusion  outweigh  the 
benefits of [designation],” unless exclusion would result in
extinction of the species.  Ibid. 

A critical-habitat designation does not directly limit the 
rights of private landowners.  It instead places conditions
on the Federal Government’s authority to effect any physi-
cal  changes  to  the  designated  area,  whether  through