Southwest Region Ecological Services

Under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (Act), Federal agencies, in consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, are required to insure that actions they authorize, fund, or carry out are not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of any species listed as endangered or threatened (listed species), or result in the destruction or adverse modification of habitat designated as critical. This is accomplished through the informal or formal consultation process with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In addition, Federal agencies are required to confer with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for any action that is likely to jeopardize the continued existence of any species that is proposed to be listed, or result in the destruction or adverse modification of habitat proposed to be designated as critical. In order to accomplish these requirements, agencies, or their designated representative, have the responsibility under the Act to review their agency's actions at the earliest possible time to determine whether those actions "may affect" listed or proposed species, or designated or proposed critical habit.

Species listings and proposals for listings change constantly, and the information found here is primarily to provide action agency natural resource planners the opportunity to have early access to general information about endangered species and habitats so that the information can be used in their agency's up-front program action planning. Information gathered from this web site should not supplant the need for an agency to verify species/habitat lists with the local U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Ecological Services Field Office that has jurisdiction for the species and habitats in the area where a specific agency's action is planned.

For further information, please contact the Ecological Services Southwest Regional office at Region 2 Section 7 Coordinator.