The Endangered Species Act of 1973 is the strongest legislation ever enacted to protect species faced with extinction. Section 7 of that Act requires all federal agencies to ensure that their actions do not jeopardize the continued existence of legally designated endangered or threatened species or result in destruction or modification of their critical habitats. Critical habitats are determined by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service to delineate those areas of air, land, and water that are essential to the survival and recovery of listed species. Critical habitats are not refuges, de facto wilderness areas, or areas in which little or no activity can be undertaken. Rather, critical habitats are delineated so that federal agencies can be aware of the essential habitats of listed species and can take special care to plan and carry out their activities in ways that will not adversely impact endangered or threatened species or their habitats.
- Volume 4
- Issue
- Pages 5-8
- Publication Date 1 January 1980
- DOI 10.2307/3872834
- File Size 141.17 KB
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