Endangered fauna of the United States

Endangered fauna of the United States
Name	Endangered fauna of the United States
Status	Endangered species
Governing body	United States Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Legislation	Endangered Species Act of 1973

Contents

Endangered fauna of the United States describes species of animals within the political boundaries of the United States assessed as at high risk of extinction in the wild, protected under instruments such as the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and managed by agencies including the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Listings arise from scientific assessments by bodies like the International Union for Conservation of Nature and federal rulemaking processes influenced by stakeholders such as the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and conservation organizations including the World Wildlife Fund, The Nature Conservancy, and the Sierra Club.

Overview and Definitions

The designation "endangered" within the United States primarily follows statutory criteria in the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and implementing regulations administered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and, for marine species, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Federal listings differentiate threatened species from endangered species and can involve candidate lists, petitions under the Administrative Procedure Act, and scientific review by panels such as the Scientific Advisory Board; parallel state lists exist in jurisdictions like California, Florida, and Hawaii. Internationally relevant frameworks include the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and assessments by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which inform recovery planning coordinated with agencies like the U.S. Geological Survey and institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution.

Federal law centers on the Endangered Species Act of 1973, which mandates listing, critical habitat designation, recovery planning, and prohibitions enforced by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service. Implementation involves consultations under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act with agencies including the Department of the Interior, Department of Commerce, and land managers such as the Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service. Funding and incentives arise from appropriations by the United States Congress, partnerships with NGOs like Defenders of Wildlife and Audubon Society, and programs such as the Conservation Reserve Program administered by the United States Department of Agriculture.

Primary drivers of decline include habitat loss from land use change in regions like the Great Plains, Pacific Northwest, Southeastern United States, and Hawaiian Islands; invasive species introductions exemplified by cases involving Brown tree snake and European green crab; pollution events such as those overseen under the Clean Water Act and incidents impacting species regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency; overexploitation historically associated with industries centered in ports like New Bedford, Massachusetts; and climate change effects tracked by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that alter ranges in ecosystems including the Arctic and Gulf of Mexico. Disease agents such as chytridiomycosis affecting amphibians and white-nose syndrome in bats have been documented by researchers at universities like University of Florida and agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Listings are often organized by ecoregion and habitat: coastal and estuarine species in the Chesapeake Bay and Gulf of Mexico; freshwater fishes in basins such as the Colorado River and the Missouri River; alpine and montane taxa in ranges like the Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada; and island endemics in Hawaii and the Aleutian Islands. Federal critical habitat designations have affected lands managed by entities including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, and state agencies in Alaska, Arizona, and Louisiana. Urban and suburban pressures near cities such as Los Angeles, Miami, and New York City also contribute to localized listings and conservation actions involving municipal partners.

Recovery planning under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 generates recovery plans developed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with input from academic institutions like University of California, Santa Cruz, conservation NGOs such as The Nature Conservancy, and tribal governments including the Navajo Nation. On-the-ground measures include habitat restoration projects funded through the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, captive breeding programs at facilities like the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, translocation efforts coordinated with the U.S. Geological Survey, and international cooperation via treaties like the Convention on Biological Diversity and CITES. Public engagement campaigns involving organizations such as National Wildlife Federation and educational outreach by museums such as the American Museum of Natural History supplement regulatory actions.

Mammals: iconic examples include the Florida panther in Florida, the California condor (vulture family) managed with captive breeding at the Ventana Wildlife Society and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and remnant populations of the Mexican wolf in the Southwest United States addressed through reintroduction programs involving the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

Birds: endangered avifauna include the Kirtland's warbler historically associated with openings in Michigan and conservation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Piping plover on Atlantic coasts including Cape Cod with protections enforced by the National Park Service, and seabirds like the Hawaiian petrel in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Reptiles and Amphibians: taxa such as the Hawaiian monk seal (marine mammal but often managed with pinnipeds), the Gopher tortoise in Southeastern United States habitats with conservation by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and salamanders impacted by chytridiomycosis researched at institutions like Duke University.

Fishes and Invertebrates: imperiled fishes include the Chinook salmon in the Columbia River and Delta smelt in the San Francisco Bay with recovery actions by the National Marine Fisheries Service; invertebrates include species such as the Karner blue butterfly in New York and freshwater mussels protected in river systems by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Marine species: endangered marine fauna include the North Atlantic right whale monitored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Leatherback sea turtle with nesting protections in locales like Florida and Puerto Rico conducted by the National Marine Fisheries Service and partners.

Category:Endangered fauna of the United States