Delisting a species

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Delisting a species is the process of removing federal protection from an endangered or threatened animal or plant species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service delists a species if it is recovered or extinct or if it was listed in error. A species is considered recovered if threats to its survival have been eliminated or reduced. As of June 2016, 63 species were delisted in the United States.

Background

Under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) places an animal or plant species on the federal list of endangered or threatened species—an action known as listing. A species is considered recovered if threats to its survival have been eliminated or reduced. When a species is removed from the federal list, the species has been delisted. An animal or plant species can have its federal status changed from endangered species to threatened species, an action known as downlisting, which occurs when threats to a species have been controlled and if the species has met certain recovery objectives.[1]

Delisting process

The Fish and Wildlife Service works with state and local governments, nongovernmental organizations, scientists from colleges and universities, and others during the delisting process. First, the service looks at whether a listed animal or plant species still requires Endangered Species Act protection. The following five factors are weighed depending on the species to make a delisting determination:[1]

  1. Whether there is present or potential destruction, curtailment, or modification of a species' habitat or range
  2. Whether a species is being overused for commercial, recreational, scientific, or educational purposes
  3. Whether existing federal regulations have been adequate in protecting the species and its habitat
  4. Whether potential or existing diseases or predators are a factor in a species' survival
  5. Whether there are other natural or human-made factors that affect a species' current existence

Based on a combination of the above five factors, the Fish and Wildlife Service decides if the species' population has improved since its listing. If it has not improved, the species remains listed (its endangered or threatened status remains unchanged). If the species has improved, the service drafts a proposal to delist or downlist the species.[1]

The southeastern shrew was delisted in 2000 after more shrew populations had been found. The species was first listed in 1982.

Under the Endangered Species Act, the Fish and Wildlife Service must seek the peer review of a species from scientists, other federal agencies, state government biologists, and the general public. The service is not required to accept the scientific conclusions of the peer review process. The process can influence the service's decision if any new information suggests that the species should remain listed or be delisted. If peer-reviewed information supports a delisting proposal, the service officially publishes the delisting decision in the Federal Register, and the species is removed from the federal list. If the species is delisted because its population has recovered, the service must monitor the species for at least five years to determine if the species continues to survive without federal protection. If the species faces continued threats to its survival, or if unforeseen events affect the species during the monitoring period, the service will extend its monitoring time or re-list the species.[1]

Some species are delisted because they were originally listed in error. New populations of the species may be found, which can disqualify the species as an endangered or threatened species. For example, the southeastern shrew, a rodent found in North Carolina and Virginia, was listed for 18 years (from 1982 to 2000) before federal biologists found that the species was more abundant than had been previously estimated. A species is also delisted when it becomes extinct.[1]

Individuals and groups can petition to delist a species or engage in litigation if they argue that a species should not be listed or because they argue that a species should not receive federal protection.[2]

Delisted species

The table below shows the names of all delisted species as of June 2016, the date they were first listed, the date they were delisted, and the reason for their delisting. As of June 2016, 63 species were delisted. Of those species, 34 were delisted due to recovery, 19 species were listed in error (for scientific reasons or because new information about a species was discovered), and 10 species went extinct.[3]

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, "Delisting a Species - Section 4 of the Endangered Species Act," accessed August 27, 2015
  2. ↑ SWCA Environmental Consultants, "Off the List: Applying the ESA to Reduce Unwarranted Regulation," December 1, 2014
  3. ↑ U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, "Delisted Species Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA)," accessed August 27, 2015
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