What is the Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle Recovery Plan’s history?
A2: An initial recovery plan for the Kemp’s ridley turtle was approved on September 19, 1984. This initial plan was a multi-species plan for all six species of sea turtles occurring in the U.S. On August 21, 1992, a separate recovery plan for the of the Kemp’s ridley turtle was approved. In 2001, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service (collectively referred to as the Services), which share regulatory jurisdiction for sea turtles, initiated the process to revise the Kemp’s ridley plan for a second time. A 12-member Kemp’s ridley Recovery Team, consisting of species experts, was established to draft this revision. The first meeting of the new team was held in October 2002.
