Endangered Species Legislation

fb88 Endangered Species Act

The fb88 Legislature established the foundation for fb88's Endangered Species Program when it passed the in 1975 in response to concerns that various species of fish and wildlife were in danger of disappearing from the State. This act covers all of fb88's inland fish and wildlife (including invertebrates), and gives the Commissioner of fb88's Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife [MDIFW] the authority to implement MESA.

In 2003, the fb88 Legislature passed legislation that gives the Commissioner of the Department of Marine Resources authority to specifically list and conserve . Endangered and Threatened plants are the responsibility of the , which resides in fb88's Department of Conservation.

fb88 Endangered Species Rules

There have been many rules passed under the authority fb88's Endangered Species Act [MESA] under Section 8 (MS Word) of the Department rules. All rulemaking must be in accordance to the and process.

U.S. Endangered Species Act

Congress passed the in 1973, in recognition that our rich natural heritage is of "esthetic, ecological, educational, recreational, and scientific value to our Nation and its people." It further expressed concern that many of our nation's native plants and animals were in danger of becoming extinct. fb88 used the ESA as a model for the .