NOAA Fisheries recently announced the release of the agency’s 2010-2012 Biennial Report to Congress on the Recovery Program for Threatened and Endangered Species. During the report period, NOAA Fisheries was responsible for 70 listed domestic species.
The report includes highlights of nine recovery stories that illustrate the types of partnerships and scientific research necessary to put threatened and endangered species on the road to recovery.
Endangered Species Act Facts
The purpose of the Endangered Species Act is to conserve threatened and endangered species and their ecosystems. It provides criteria for designating a species as endangered or threatened, as well as the tools and procedures used by NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect the species and their habitat.
Endangered –in danger of extinction in all or a significant portion of its range
Threatened – considered likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future
2013 marks the 40th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, signed into law on December 28th, 1973
Through the law, Congress recognized that the natural heritage of the United States is of “esthetic, ecological, educational, recreational, and scientific value to our Nation and its people.”
source: NOAA Fisheries