Endangered Species Act Overview

Target Audience:

All staff engaged in work with the Endangered Species Act.

Summary and Objectives:

The module will give you an introduction and overview of the Endangered Species Act, otherwise known as the ESA. The course will introduce you to several sections of the Endangered Species Act in greater detail. The goal of this course is for each student to be able to: Recognize if statutory requirements in the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (as revised by the 108th Congress) should be considered/addressed when carrying out actions that might affect the conservation and protection of threatened and endangered species (T&E). To meet the stated goal of this course, participants will complete each module and have as references a copy of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and cited regulations as they pertain to various sections of the ESA (e.g., 50 CFR 402).

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Paraphrase the purpose and policies of the ESA (how/why is this law needed).
• Describe the difference between threatened, endangered, and candidate species.
• Identify key concepts within each major section of the ESA (i.e., 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11).
• Describe how the different sections of the ESA inform your daily work.

Competency Addressed:

Administrative Law - Awareness, Organizational Awareness - Awareness, Environmental Compliance - Awareness