Better Conservation More Efficiently: A Guide for Federal Agency Compliance with Section 7(a)(1) of the Endangered Species Act

This Regional 7(a)(1) guidance has been developed to assist federal agencies in efficiently performing their primary mission by proactively planning and implementing agency activities consistent with recovery of threatened and endangered species. Such proactive planning will increase regulatory certainty and flexibility, decrease regulatory conflict and delays, and significantly streamline 7(a)(2) consultations for individual projects. Additionally, this guidance provides procedural and substantive criteria to demonstrate compliance with its recovery conservation mandates under sections 2 and 7(a)(1) of the Endangered Species Act, and insures that the agency receives proper credit for its 7(a)(1) conservation efforts.