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
Leatherback turtle in the Kei Islands. Credit: Scubazoo/Jason Isley
A hawksbill sea turtle swimming above a coral reef in western Maui in the Hawaiian Islands. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Don McLeish. Photo taken under permit #21260.
The Pacific leatherback sea turtles have existed in their current form without scales and a hard shell since the age of the dinosaurs, but threats from bycatch, egg harvesting, and degradation of nesting habit have made this species endangered. Photo credit: Jason Isley, Scubazoo.