Proactive conservation and recovery
The purpose of the Endangered Species Act is to protect threatened and endangered species and the ecosystems upon which they depend.
The ultimate goal of the Endangered Species Act is to "recover" species through conservation efforts. To recover a species means that ESA protection is no longer necessary for the species to survive, which could lead to deregulation by the removal of Endangered Species Act-listed species. Conservation is the management of natural resources to promote protection and restoration. Conservation can include removing invasive species, planting native habitats, managing diseases, breeding species in captivity to release them into their historic range, and evaluating responses to management actions.
Section 7(a)(1) of the Endangered Species Act directs all federal agencies to “...carry out programs for the conservation of endangered and threatened species...". This section is often regarded as a call for Proactive Conservation and Recovery.
Proactive conservation and recovery means that the BLM actively works with partners to improve wildlife, fish, and plant populations and habitats through protection and restoration before large declines occur. Actions to conserve at-risk species can preclude the need to protect the species under the Endangered Species Act. The BLM also uses management policy and actions to prevent or offset potential negative impacts to species and habitats from multiple uses on public lands. Proactive conservation and recovery:
- Increases health of habitats and species populations.
- Efficiently conserves species and habitats so they do not need protection by the Endangered Species Act and other regulations.
- Reduces costs for projects because conservation and compliance with regulations is completed prior to impacts.
- Supports recovery actions in appropriate areas, which provides more management flexibility for multiple-uses of BLM-managed land in other areas.
