The ESA is focused on conserving and recovering endangered and threatened species, ensuring their survival in the wild, and protecting their habitats. It does not have the goal of promoting economic growth.

The ESA defines an endangered species as one that is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range.

The ESA prohibits taking, possessing, transporting, and importing or exporting endangered or threatened species. It does not prohibit selling endangered or threatened species.

The primary purpose of the critical habitat designation is to identify areas that are essential for the conservation of a species and to provide a legal basis for protecting those areas from destruction or modification.

The ESA requires the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to consider the present or threatened destruction, modification, or curtailment of a species' habitat or range, overutilization for commercial, recreational, scientific, or educational purposes, and the inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms when making a decision to list a species as endangered or threatened. The economic impact of the listing is not a factor that must be considered.

The Endangered Species Committee is a seven-member committee that reviews and approves or rejects listing decisions made by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The committee is composed of the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, the Secretary of State, and the Governor of the affected state.

The purpose of a recovery plan is to outline the steps necessary to recover a species to the point where it is no longer endangered or threatened. The plan must include a description of the species' current status, the threats to the species, and the actions that will be taken to recover the species.

The ESA allows for the issuance of permits for scientific research, enhancement of propagation or survival, and incidental take. It does not allow for the issuance of permits for economic hardship.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is responsible for listing species as endangered or threatened, developing and implementing recovery plans, issuing permits for scientific research, enhancement of propagation or survival, and incidental take, and enforcing the provisions of the ESA.

The ESA has helped to prevent the extinction of many species, led to the recovery of some species, and raised awareness of the importance of protecting endangered and threatened species. However, it has not created jobs and boosted the economy.

The effective implementation of the ESA faces a number of challenges, including lack of funding, political opposition, and scientific uncertainty.

Individuals can help protect endangered and threatened species by learning about them and their habitats, supporting organizations that are working to protect them, and reducing their consumption of resources.

The future of the ESA is uncertain. It is possible that it will be strengthened in the future, weakened in the future, or remain the same. It is also possible that the ESA will be repealed in the future.

The bald eagle, gray wolf, and California condor have all been successfully recovered under the ESA. The Steller sea lion has not been successfully recovered under the ESA.

Individuals can help protect endangered and threatened species by learning about them and their habitats, supporting organizations that are working to protect them, and reducing their consumption of resources.