Image from ecowatch.com
Recently, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service released their Candidate Notice of Review for endangered species. The Candidate Notice of Review is a comprehensive list of all of the plants and animals that should be considered for protection under the Endangered Species Act, or E.S.A. The review includes updates from the last review, which took place in 2012, and new species are either added or removed as populations plummet or stabilize. As of November 22, there are 146 species under consideration for the protection of the Endangered Species Act.
The Endangered Species Act, which was created n 1973, is designed to conserve and protect any and all endangered species. From reptiles to mammals, birds to fish, insects, trees, and even grass and flowers are all considered for E.S.A. protection. The law requires that federal agencies take action in order to preserve the species in danger. This action could be anything from laws to creating awareness among landowners and working on plans to conserve the species. The law also directly prohibits any sort of trade, import, export, or profit of endangered species.
A species that is under consideration for protection by the Endangered Species Act does not have the actual protection of the act. That a species is a candidate merely means that they are at a point where their population is incredibly unstable and in danger of extinction. Even if the species is not chosen for E.S.A. protection, this does not mean that they go completely unprotected at all. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service generally notifies landowners and wildlife management specialists and inform them on how to help protect the species so that it can begin to recuperate even without the help of the E.S.A. Special note is also taken of species habitats so that they can be preserved as well.
