U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Conservation Regulations and Policies
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) share responsibility for administration of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We have issued internal guidance and national policies to promote efficiency and nationwide consistency in implementing the ESA to conserve and recover listed species of plants and animals native to the U.S. and its territories.
Here you will find links to summaries of our major policies, sorted by the associated section of the ESA. Most of these and other policies can be downloaded in PDF format from our document library.
Candidate Conservation Policies
Listing Program Policies
Habitat Conservation Planning Policies