October 22, 1999

What is the backlog of species that need to be listed?
Right now (September 30, 1999):
Species currently proposed for listing : 56
Candidates for listing: 258
Petitioned species for which findings are needed: 31 (plus the petition to list 3700 foreign species [The World Conservation Union's Red Data Book vertebrates])

Why is the designation of critical habitat being taken out of the Listing Priority Guidelines?
Since Congress has not provided sufficient funds to allow us to comply with all of the requirements of the Act, making critical habitat designations will divert limited listing resources from other listing actions required by the Act. Critical habitat designations are being taken out of the Listing Priority Guidelines so that we can focus our efforts first on listing actions that will provide the greatest conservation benefits to imperiled species in the most expeditious and biologically sound manner.

Why doesn't the Service designate critical habitat more often for species?
The Service has assigned a relatively low priority to designation of critical habitat because of the belief that in many instances, designation of critical habitat provides no additional conservation benefit and there are more effective uses of limited resources. The Service believes that it is more important to place imperiled species on the list than designate critical habitat. Listed species and their habitat are protected by the Endangered Species Act whether or not they are in an area designated as critical habitat.

Fish & Wildlife Service Announces New Listing Priority Guidlines. Read the Press Release.

Read the Federal Register notice. [PDF]

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