Congress passed the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 USC 1531 et seq., amended 1978, 1982, 1986, 1988) (ESA) to protect species of plants and animals endangered or threatened with extinction. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) share responsibility for the administration of the ESA…
