Delisting a Species: Section 4 of the Endangered Species Act

Delisting a Species: Section 4 of the Endangered Species Act
delisting-species-section-4-endangered-species-act.pdf3.74 MB

The goal of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is to conserve endangered and threatened species. Species are added to the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants in order to regulate activities that may impact them. When a species is able to survive on its own in the wild, the species is considered to be “recovered,” and protection of the ESA is no longer necessary.  This document provides answers to questions regarding species recovery and the removal, or "delisting" of recovered species from the  Federal Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants.

Publication date
Type of document
Fact Sheet
Media Usage Rights/License
Public Domain
Program
Close up of a California condor. Its pink featherless head contrasts with its black feathers.
We provide national leadership in the recovery and conservation of our nation's imperiled plant and animal species, working with experts in the scientific community to identify species on the verge of extinction and to build the road to recovery to bring them back. We work with a range of public...
Program
Falls Church,VA
A duck flies over a tundra pond.
We use the best scientific information available to determine whether to add a species to (list) or remove from (delist) the federal lists of endangered and threatened wildlife and plants. We also determine whether already listed species should be reclassified from threatened to endangered (uplist...
Program
Falls Church,VA
Subject tags
Endangered and/or Threatened species