In 2020, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed gray wolves in the lower 48 U.S. states from protections under the Endangered Species Act, and a federal judge ordered those protections reinstated in 2022.
January 01, 2022
high
policy
Recent federal regulatory and judicial actions affecting legal protections for gray wolves in the contiguous United States.
The Endangered Species Act is a U.S. federal environmental law enacted in 1973 that provides a framework for protecting imperiled species and their habitats.
January 01, 1973
high
temporal
Foundational U.S. statute establishing species- and habitat-protection mechanisms.
The black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) is a federally listed endangered species protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
high
legal_status
Legal protection status under U.S. federal law
Administrative decisions about whether to designate land as critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act can include analyses of economic impacts, and incorporating such economic analyses can affect the timing and scope of habitat protections.
high
temporal
Economic considerations can influence critical-habitat designation outcomes and scheduling.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has used a 'blanket rule' that automatically extends protective regulations to species when they are classified as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
high
policy
Explains the operational effect of the Fish and Wildlife Service's 'blanket rule' for threatened species.
Designation of 'critical habitat' under the Endangered Species Act is a regulatory mechanism that identifies geographic areas essential for the conservation and recovery of listed species.
high
regulatory
Defines the purpose of critical habitat designations within the Endangered Species Act framework.