Endangered Species Policy
Strengthening Implementation of America's Landmark Conservation Law
The Endangered Species Act remains our nation's strongest tool for preventing extinctions, but implementation challenges limit its effectiveness. Our work analyzes regulatory changes, identifies barriers to species recovery, and proposes innovations to help more species reach sustainable population levels.
Regulatory Analysis and Reform
ESA regulations directly shape conservation outcomes for hundreds of species. We provide detailed analysis of regulatory changes and their implications for both species conservation and regulatory efficiency.
Recovery Tracking and Metrics
Measuring species recovery progress remains challenging, limiting our ability to evaluate ESA effectiveness and adapt conservation strategies. We develop methods to track recovery and identify species that need additional attention.
Publications
Tracking Species Recovery Status to Improve US Endangered Species Act Decisions
From the Archives: Endangered species recovery: A resource allocation problem - Science article (2018), The Conversation article (2018)
Cross-Sector Conservation Challenges
Species conservation increasingly requires coordination across multiple regulatory frameworks and economic sectors. We examine how ESA implementation intersects with pesticide regulation, military activities, and infrastructure development.
Publications
Nationwide CCAA/CCA for Monarch Butterfly on Energy and Transportation Lands (EPIC staff were the primary document authors)
How We Harness an Infrastructure Boom to Close the Biodiversity Finance Gap
The Conservation of Defense: Opportunities to Promote Conservation Through Military Readiness
Understanding Barriers and Incentives to [Corporate] Voluntary Conservation Opportunities under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (EPIC was a contractor on this report)
Opportunities for Electric Power Utilities to Proactively Engage On Section 4(D) Rules for Threatened Species (EPIC was a contractor on this report)