What is the primary responsibility of the US Fish and Wildlife Service under the ESA?

The primary responsibility of the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is to protect threatened and endangered species from unlawful take. This encompasses a range of actions specified by law, including the prohibition of killing, harming, or otherwise jeopardizing listed species. The agency is tasked with ensuring the survival and recovery of these species through regulatory measures, habitat conservation, and public education. Protecting these species involves a proactive approach to manage and enforce laws that prevent unauthorized actions that could endanger the populations or habitats of these vulnerable species.

While establishing critical habitats for listed species is an important function of the service, it is a part of the broader goal of species protection rather than the primary responsibility. Reviewing impacts to aquatic and terrestrial environments, as well as Environmental Impact Statements, are relevant activities that may support the overall mission of the ESA, but they do not directly define the key focus of the USFWS, which centers specifically on preventing unlawful harm to endangered and threatened species.