• The Endangered Species Act is a protective declaration issued by the United States Congress.manatee image by Earl Robbins from Fotolia.com
  
  The earliest attempt by the United States Congress to regulate wildlife management happened in 1966 with the Endangered Species Preservation Act. According to the Department of Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service, President Nixon found the Act to be inadequate in its function, and he called for Congress to produce a new plan. The Endangered Species Act as we know it was passed in 1973, and despite several amendments, its core framework and functions have remained unchanged.
  
  

Standard Protection

• The grizzly bear is a mammal protected under the Endangered Species Act.grizzly bear image by Melissa Schalke from Fotolia.com
  
  The foremost provision of the Endangered Species Act grants the government power to categorize fish, plants and wildlife as "threatened" or "endangered." This provides broad protection for any species on the list, making it illegal to interfere with a listed species or its habitat. According to the Fish and Wildlife Service, a species is declared threatened or endangered by the Secretary of the Interior based on a number of credentials. These include destruction of habitat, prevalence of disease, overpredation, overutilization, or a number of other manmade or natural causes. Those who harm a species protected by the Act face the threat of jail-time and/or monetary fines.
  
  

Section 7

• The gray whale has been listed as "endangered" by the Secretary of the Interior.humpback whale,humpback,whale,adolescent,mammal,ma image by Earl Robbins from Fotolia.com
  
  Section 7 is one of two core sections in the Endangered Species Act. Section 7 deals government agencies and their jurisdiction under the Act. Its primary function is to control permit issuance to private contractors who want to develop wetlands or water that are protected under the Act. Section 7 requires federal monitoring and regulation of these permits to ensure that the construction work in question will not pose a potential threat to a species or their habitat. Section 7 applies to both federal property and private property.
  
  

Section 9

• Section 9 of the Endangered Species Act states explicitly which actions are prohibited upon listed species, which makes it the heart of the Act. This section prohibits the "taking" of an endangered species, which can include removal from its habitat and infliction of injury or causing death to an animal under the Act's protection. It is illegal for any party, federal or private, to interfere with an endangered species or to cause destruction or modification to its environment. Unless a permit is granted under the regulations of Section 9, it is also illegal for anyone to remove a listed species from its habitat, claim it as a possession or trade it.