The policy supports the controlled propagation of threatened and endangered species when recommended in recovery plans developed under the Endangered Species Act and when efforts to recover species or reduce threats to populations in the wild are insufficient.
"Captive propagation has been vital to the recovery of animals such as black-footed ferrets, Karner blue butterflies, and California condors and a number of plant species such as the Hawaiian silverswords," said Jamie Rappaport Clark, director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "This policy represents another step in ensuring that the endangered species program is grounded in the best available science."
The joint policy states that controlled propagation may be used to prevent extinction, maintain genetic health, and hold plants and animals on a temporary basis until threats to their habitats are alleviated. Controlled propagation is also a useful tool for establishing new, self- sustaining populations, supplementing or enhancing wild populations and holding offspring of listed species for part of their development if suitable natural conditions do not exist.
The policy does not alter protections already provided through the Endangered Species Act for listed plants and animals.
"This policy clarifies the agencys position on controlled propagation as a recovery and conservation tool for native listed species, emphasizing the need to take a cautious approach when considering its use," said Penny Dalton, director of the National Marine Fisheries Service. The private sector has been extensively involved in controlled propagation partnerships for endangered and threatened species. For example, member institutions of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association and the member botanical gardens and arboreta of the Center for Plant Conservation have played important roles in preventing the extinction of native species through controlled propagation programs.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses 525 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
The National Marine Fisheries Service is dedicated to protecting and preserving the nations living marine resources through scientific research, fisheries management, enforcement, and habitat conservation. The agency is responsible for enforcing federal marine species laws such as the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act. The National Marine Fisheries Service is also a leading voice for commercial and recreational fisheries and continues to focus its efforts on sustaining the nations marine resources. From the Gulf of Maine, to the Gulf of Mexico, and to the Gulf of Alaska, NOAA Fisheries scientists and managers work to ensure sustainable fish harvests; they are the stewards of our nations living marine resources and their habitats.
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