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Background Overview When Congress passed the Endangered Species Act [16 U.S.C. 1531 et.seq.] in 1973, it set clear pub- lic policy that we were to act to pre- vent the destruction of nature's resource diversity. The Act established a strong leadership role for the Federal Government in the conservation of species at risk of ex- tinction. Congress envisioned a net- work of international, national, State, and private organizations working together towards common goals. The Act was first passed to provide a means to conserve the ecosystems upon which endangered and threat- ened species depend and to provide a program for the conservation of these species. "Conserve" was defined as the use of "all methods and procedures which are necessary to bring any endangered species or threatened species to the point at which the measures provided pursuant to this Act are no longer necessary...." The Act further declared that the policy of Congress is for all Federal departments and agencies to seek to conserve endan- gered and threatened species and that they shall use their own authorities in furtherance of the purposes of the Act. Read in conjunction with the statutory definition of "conserve," Congress made it clear that all Federal agencies should promote the recovery of listed species. Section 4(f) of the Act, as amended, directs the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce to develop and implement recovery plans for species of animals and plants listed as endangered or threat- ened unless such plans will not pro- mote the conservation of such species. The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and the National Marine Fisheries Service have been delegated the responsibility of admin- istering the Act. The National Marine Fisheries Service is generally respon- sible for most marine species (except birds), and the Service is generally responsible for birds and terrestrial and freshwater species. Exceptions include the West Indian manatee, sea turtles (on land), and sea otters, which are under the Service's juris- diction. Fundamentally, the Endangered Species Act is habitat-oriented. It seeks to conserve "the ecosystems upon which endangered species and threatened species depend." This ori- entation has been embraced by the Service in its increased efforts to ad- dress listing and recovery on a multi- species, ecosystem-wide basis whenever possible. There is always danger that excessive focus on the needs of single species will result in 2