What is the difference between a species being listed as threatened versus being listed as endangered?
By definition, an endangered species is one that is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range; a threatened species is one that is likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range. Protections afforded by the ESA are the same for both threatened and endangered species; however, for threatened species, special rules can be developed allowing greater flexibility in managing for the species. This special rule process is authorized under Section 4(d) of the ESA. Q. What protection does the splittail gain through the ESA? A. The ESA forbids the import, export, or interstate or foreign sale of protected animals and plants without a special permit. It also makes “take” illegal — forbidding the killing, harming, harassing, possessing, or removing of protected animals from the wild. Federal agencies must also consult with the Service to ensure that any activity they fund, authorize, or carry out wi
