Endangered Species Program

Poster by USFWS

Listing

Through the Listing Program, the Service determines whether to add a species to the Federal lists of endangered and threatened wildlife and plants. Once listed, a species is afforded the full range of protections available under the Endangered Species Act, including prohibitions on killing, harming or otherwise "taking" a species. In some instances, species listing can be avoided by the development of Candidate Conservation Agreements which may remove threats facing the candidate species.

Learn more about Critical Habitats and Northwest Florida Protected Species Lists.

Consultation

Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, requires all federal agencies to use their authorities for the conservation of species protected under the Act. Federal agencies must consult with the USFWS to ensure that their actions do not jeopardize the continued existence of protected species. Federal actions include all projects carried out, authorized, or funded by any department agency of the federal government (for example, issuing a wetlands fill permit under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act).

The first step in complying with Section 7 in Northwest Florida is to determine whether any endangered or threatened species may occur in a project area by contacting the Panama City Field Office. We maintain species lists of plants and animals protected under the Act that may occur in each of the 16 Panhandle counties.

All individuals, not just Federal agencies, are prohibited by Section 9 of the ESA from harming endangered or threatened animals without an incidental take permit from the USFWS. The first step in complying with Section 9 in the Northwest Florida is again to determine whether any protected species may occur in a project area. If so, Service biologists will advise you about developing a Habitat Conservation Plan, which will allow you to legally proceed with your project.

Habitat Conservation Planning

The Habitat Conservation Planning Program works with private, non-federal land owners to assure they are conserving and protecting the natural resources on their land. When a landowner wants to develop his land, and that land is the habitat for threatened or endangered species, the landowner is required to consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service before beginning the project. The USFWS will help the landowner create a Habitat Conservation Plan and issue an incidental take permit.

Incidental take permits protect non-federal agencies from actions that would otherwise be lawful when endangered or threatened species are not involved. A landowner could accidentally “take” or harm an endangered species without proper consultation and supervision.

Recovery

The Recovery Program forms partnerships with federal, state and local organizations, as well as private landowners, to restore endangered and threatened species. The goal is to eventually help the species population rise to a level where it no longer needs protection and can thrive on its own. The Panama City Field Office works to achieve this goal by restoring and protecting a species’ natural habitat, controlling plants or animals that are a threat to the existence of a species, reintroducing species to an area that the species no longer occupies and educating the general public about protecting wildlife.

Permits

The Panama City Field Office works with the regional branch of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Atlanta to review requests to study or collect species for scientific and educational purposes.

If you would like to apply for a permit, contact the Southeast Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office:

1875 Century Boulevard, Suite 400
Atlanta, GA 30345
Phone: (404) 679-4000
Fax: (404) 679-4006
E-mail: southeast@fws.gov