The purpose of the U.S. Endangered Species Act (Act), passed by Congress in 1973, is to prevent the extinction of native and foreign animals and plants. The Endangered Species Act is under the administration of two federal agencies. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), including the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), are responsible for all endangered and threatened marine species. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) are responsible for freshwater fish and all other species. With some exceptions, the Act prohibits activities affecting these protected species unless authorized by a permit from the FWS or NMFS.
The activities authorized by permits differ depending whether the species is listed as endangered or threatened. An “endangered species” is defined as any animal or plant that is in danger of extinction. A “threatened species” is defined as any animal or plant that is likely to become endangered in the near future.
For endangered species, permits may be issued for scientific research, enhancement of propagation or survival of the species, including conservation education, and unintentional destruction that is incidental to an otherwise lawful activity. For threatened species, permits also may be issued for zoological, horticultural, or botanical exhibition; educational use; and special purposes consistent with the Act.
EnviroScience biologists have experience in completing surveys for numerous state and federally endangered and threatened species, including:
- Freshwater Mussel surveys and translocations
- Indiana bats
- Burrowing owls
- Birds of prey
- Plant inventory
- Reptile and amphibian surveys including Massasauga Rattlesnake surveys Running Buffalo Clover surveys
Indiana - Bat in brown glove
In addition, EnviroScience’s strong technical reputation with regulatory agencies allows our company to rapidly complete agency coordination, including:
- Section 7 Consultations
- Biological assessments
- Programmatic agreements
- Litigation
- Resident Important Species (RIS)
- Population estimates
- Qualitative surveys
- Quantitative surveys
Cyperus acuminatus, paleumbrella-sedge
