What’s the difference between Threatened and Endangered?
The Endangered Species Act allows for two levels of protection: threatened and endangered. Endangered means that a population or species is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. Threatened means that a species or population is likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future. Endangered listings immediately trigger the full protection of the ESA; with threatened listings, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have more flexibility in how the species should be protected and recovered.
