Section 4(f) of the Endangered Species Act requires the Secretary to develop and implement recovery plans for the conservation and survival of listed species. The ESA defines “conserve” as to use all methods and procedures which are necessary to bring a listed species to the point where the protections of the ESA are no longer necessary. This review:
- Evaluated whether the current recovery planning process results in effective recovery plans that serve as roadmaps to recover the species.
- Evaluated the effectiveness of the recovery planning process, including the quality of the recovery plans, the implementation of recovery actions, and the monitoring of recovery progress.
- Provided recommendations to improve recovery plans as well as the recovery planning and implementation process to increase the likelihood of recovering species.
Reports, Presentations, and Materials
Final Report
Program Review
Presentations
- Atlantic Salmon (PDF, 26 pages)
- Cook Inlet Beluga Whales (PDF, 29 pages)
- Elkhorn and Staghorn Corals (PDF, 7 pages)
- Hawaiian Monk Seals (PDF, 21 pages)
- Johnson's Seagrass (PDF, 12 pages)
- Leatherback Sea Turtles (PDF, 23 pages)
- Loggerhead Sea Turtle (PDF, 15 pages)
- North Atlantic Right Whale (PDF, 20 pages)
- Puget Sound Chinook Salmon (PDF, 20 pages)
- Smalltooth Sawfish (PDF, 13 pages)
- Sacramento River Winter-Run Chinook Salmon (PDF, 20 pages)
- Recovery Program and Process (PDF, 33 pages)
- Which Species Should Have a Recovery Plan? (PDF, 8 pages)
- Legal Framework for ESA Recovery Planning and Implementation (PDF, 29 pages)
Background Material
Materials Shared by Panelists
Contact Us
For more information or questions about the National Recovery Program, contact Therese Conant (therese.conant@noaa.gov), NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources.
More Information
Right whale #3853 swimming north offshore of South Carolina on Jan. 20, 2011 with a series of fresh propeller wounds running across its back. The whale was observed 5 days previously offshore of Georgia without propeller wounds. It is unknown whether the whale survived its wounds or not, as it has not been re-sighted since. Vessel collisions are a leading cause of right whale mortality. Credit: EcoHealth Alliance (NOAA permit #594-1759).
North Atlantic right whale Catalog #3560 ‘Snow Cone’ sighted December 2, 2021 entangled and with a new calf. Photo credit: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission taken under NOAA permit 20556.
Loggerhead turtle. Credit: T. Moore (CC0 1.0)
North Pacific right whale #87 also known as “Smudgy” interacts with a log floating on the water. There are only around 30 individuals in the eastern population, so to spot a North Pacific right whale is rare and to see one interacting with a log in a once-in-a-lifetime experience. NOAA Fisheries permit 782-1719.