The Performance of the Endangered Species Act
- 1 December 2008
- journal article
- Published by Annual Reviews in Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics
- Vol. 39 (1), 279-299
- https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.39.110707.173538
Abstract
Arguably the most notable success of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is that listed species improve in status through time. More species are downlisted than the converse; more species transition from stable to improving status than the converse. Although some listed species have gone extinct, this number is smaller than expected. Given modest recovery funding, the fraction of listed species responding positively is remarkable. Several factors have been linked to improving species status including recovery expenditures, critical habitat listing, and time spent under protection. The inability of government to fully empower the agencies to implement the law has been the most notable failure of the ESA. Listing of species has not matched need, recovery expenditures do not match need or agency-set priorities, and critical habitat determinations have lagged. Alternative protection strategies to listing may be having a positive effect, but are difficult to assess because of sparse data.Keywords
This publication has 71 references indexed in Scilit:
- Learning from endangered and threatened species recovery programs: A case study using U.S. Endangered Species Act recovery scoresEcological Economics, 2007
- Options for biodiversity conservation in managed forest landscapes of multiple ownerships in Oregon and Washington, USABiodiversity and Conservation, 2007
- The Normative Dimension and Legal Meaning of Endangered and Recovery in the U.S. Endangered Species ActConservation Biology, 2006
- Conservation of endangered species: Can incentives work for private landowners?Ecological Economics, 2006
- A Proposal to Eliminate Redundant Terminology for Intra-Species GroupsWildlife Society Bulletin, 2006
- Using Economic and Regulatory Incentives to Restore Endangered Species: Lessons Learned from Three New ProgramsConservation Biology, 2004
- FACTORS AFFECTING IMPLEMENTATION OF RECOVERY PLANSEcological Applications, 2002
- ENDANGERED SPECIES RECOVERY AND THE SCB STUDY: A U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE PERSPECTIVEEcological Applications, 2002
- An Update on Priorities and Expenditures under the Endangered Species ActLand Economics, 2001
- Property Rights Case Law and the Challenge to the Endangered Species ActConservation Biology, 1995