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Article: Endangered Species Act
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Endangered Species Act
The Endangered Species Act (ESA) has been described as the most comprehensive legislation for the preservation of endangered
species
ever enacted by any nation. It is also one of the United States' most controversial natural resource laws.
Purpose and Administration
The 1973 Endangered Species Act replaced earlier laws enacted in 1966 and 1969 that proved insufficient to protect endangered wildlife. Congress enacted the law to protect endangered and threatened species, to conserve their
ecosystems
, and to promote their recovery. As of November 2002, 517 U.S. species of animals and 745 U.S. species of plants were federally
listed as either threatened or ...