U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Begins Commemoration of 40th Anniversary of the Endangered Species Act
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will honor the 40th Anniversary of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) with a year-long commemoration of the law, and the nationwide conservation efforts underway that are protecting America's endangered, threatened, and at-risk species.
The ESA is the most significant piece of endangered species legislation, having prevented the extinction of 99 percent of the species it protects since its inception in 1973. Co-administered by the Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the purpose of the ESA is to conserve imperiled species and the habitats upon which they depend. Today, the ESA protects over 1,400 U.S. species and 600 foreign species.