Endangered Species Act

The endangered species act was signed by Richard Nixon in 1973. It tasks the government with the conservation of vulnerable and endangered species as well as critical environment. Protecting the environment is managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service. The procedure for listing a species' conservation status follows four major criteria: number of species, breeding success, effect of predation and disease, and any known threats such as poaxhing. Animals are ranked on the conservation status scale from "least concern" to "extinct."