The Endangered Species Act has spent its first 50 years focused primarily on preventing extinction, but its founding language calls for something broader: the conservation of entire ecosystems and the recovery of species to the point where ESA protection is no longer needed. This article directs attention to Section 2 of the ESA, a seldom-invoked provision that mandates all federal agencies, not just the Fish and Wildlife Service, to actively use their authorities in support of species conservation. Miranda-Castro argues this mandate is the key to a more proactive, ecosystem-based conservation strategy.
Concrete examples illustrate the potential: the Department of Defense has long adjusted land use policies to support species like the Red-cockaded Woodpecker; the Army Corps of Engineers' forward-looking conservation plan in the lower Mississippi led to the delisting of the Interior Least Tern in 2019; and the USDA's Working Lands for Wildlife program targets at-risk species on private lands nationwide. Each federal agency has unique tools and capabilities, and Section 2 provides both the mandate and the flexibility for them to deploy those tools proactively, turning routine federal actions into conservation opportunities.
Read the full article on the WMI Outdoor News Bulletin.
