Water: Dredged Material Management
Emerging Issues: Endangered Species Act
The Endangered Species Act (ESA) provides for the conservation of species that are listed as endangered or threatened throughout all or a significant portion of their range, and the conservation of the ecosystems on which they depend. ESA considerations may play a role in planning for dredging and dredged material management.
NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries Service) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (U.S. FWS) share responsibility for implementing the ESA. Generally, U.S. FWS manages land and freshwater species, while NOAA Fisheries Service manages marine and anadromous (living in the sea and breeding in fresh water) species.