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The Act's History and Framework 11 troduction, and restoration of game birds and other wild birds" subject to existing state laws. This marked Congress's first offi- cial recognition (albeit on a limited basis) that the loss of species is an issue of national concern. In the series of federal wildlife laws that followed the Lacey Act, elements of the current federal endangered species program began to emerge (Yaffee, 1982). Federal regulation of the taking of species was first undertaken on federal lands. As early as 1894, hunting was prohibited in Yellowstone National Park; in 1906, hunting of birds on federal lands reserved as breeding grounds for birds was prohibited. Although it was declared unconstitu- tional by a federal district court, the Migratory Bird Act of 1913 was the first federal statute to attempt to regulate taking more broadly. It prohibited the hunting of all migratory and insec- tivorous birds except under federal regulations and declared those species to be within federal custody. The idea was revived a few years later, however, with passage of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. The 1918 act provided for taking regulations similar to those of the 1913 act and was upheld by the Supreme Court in 1920.2 Habitat acquisition began as early as 1903 with the designa- tion of Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge. Over the follow- ing two decades, both Congress and the president established refuges throughout the country. By 1929, Congress had estab- lished acommission through the Migratory Bird Conservation Act to review Interior Department proposals for refuge pur- chases. Dependable funding for refuge acquisitions was later provided by the 1934 Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act and the Pittman-Robertson Act. Finally, the Fish and Wildlife Coor- dination Act of 1934 set a precedent for requiring federal agen- cies to consider the effect of their actions on wildlife populations and advocated statelfederal cooperation to develop a national wildlife conservation program. The maturation of federal wildlife law was propelled by in- creasing concern over the loss of species among wildlife pro- fessionals and the general public. By the 1960s, a strong constituency for species conservation had developed. This base provided the political climate for the creation of a Committee on Rare and Endangered Species in the Interior Department's Bu- reau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife in 1964. The committee,