Species Status Assessment Framework

The Species Status Assessment (SSA) Framework is an analytical approach developed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) to deliver foundational science for informing all Endangered Species Act (ESA) decisions. An SSA requires integration of comprehensive project planning; clear roles and responsibilities; early identification of decision context and resolution of issues and concerns; rigorous scientific assessment; and separation of the science and the recommendation steps. The result will be better assessments, improved and more transparent and defensible decision making, clearer and more concise documents, less rewriting at multiple review stages, and fewer “redos” resulting from legal challenges.

This document lays out the basic concepts in the SSA Framework and the minimum requirements for an SSA.