Endangered Species Deskbook

The Endangered Species Act, arguably the most potent environmental legislation enacted by Congress, requires all federal departments and agencies to conserve endangered and threatened species by utilizing their authorities in furtherance of the act's purposes. Because the ESA represents a broad approach to species protection and conservation that is implemented by absolute prohibitions driven by biological factors, it is a source for land use laws, agency regulations, and judicial decisions that can lead to significant impacts on private property rights and economic development.

The Endangered Species Deskbook discusses in detail what has been called the "800 pound gorilla" of environmental legislation. It makes clear the often mystifying labyrinth of regulations and court decisions construing the ESA's statutory language. It analyzes the ESA's history, agency regulations, and court decisions in order to shed light on the meaning of the statute as it was drafted by Congress and interpreted by agencies and the courts, provides a guide for interpreting the Act, and outlines the necessary information and steps that might be needed for compliance with the ESA and applicable agency regulations.