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16 The Act's History and Framework technical and jurisdictional issues than on the comprehensive mandate it represented. Five years later, when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the snail darter in TVA v. Hill, the majority opinion stated that "the plain language of the Act, buttressed by its legislative history, shows clearly that Congress viewed the value of endangered species as incalculable." Listing of Species The authority to list species as threatened or endangered is shared by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), which is responsible for the listing of most marine species, and the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), which administers the listing of all other plants and animals. In contrast to previous statutes, the 1973 act provides two classifications under which a species may be listed. Species determined to be in imminent danger of ex- tinction throughout all or a significant portion of their range are listed as "endangered." Species determined likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future are listed as "threatened." Further, distinct populations may be listed even if the species is abundant in other portions of its range. The criteria for endan- germent must be based solely on biological evidence and the best scientific and/or commercial data available. Moreover, ad- ditions or deletions may be proposed by anyone who presents adequate evidence of the endangered status of a species. The 1978 amendments to the act substantially altered the original listing process by requiring that each species listing be accompanied by the listing of critical habitat and that economic factors be considered in designating critical habitat. Asa practi- cal matter, however, these changes, in addition to numerous new requirements for hearings and local notice, were burden- some and often extremely difficult to carry out. In effect, the entire listing program was stifled. During the first year of the Reagan administration, not a single species was added to the list. In 1982, therefore, Congress relaxed the requirements for listing and attempted to expedite the process by requiring the interior secretary to issue a preliminary finding within ninety days of receiving a listing petition. The 1982 amendments also allowed species listings to proceed prior to the listing of their critical habitat.