Endangered Species: Fish and Wildlife Service Uses Best Available Science to Make Listing Decisions, but Additional Guidance Needed for Critical Habitat Designations

United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2003-08-29 monographic deposited born digital 74 p. GA 1.13:GAO-03-803 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-803 P0b002ee1803944af f:d03803 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-803 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-803 GAO-03-803 Endangered species Strategic planning Wildlife conservation Wildlife management Program evaluation Other Written Product A08263 Endangered Species: Fish and Wildlife Service Uses Best Available Science to Make Listing Decisions, but Additional Guidance Needed for Critical Habitat Designations Recent concerns about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (Service) endangered species listing and critical habitat decisions have focused on the role that "sound science" plays in the decision-making process--whether the Service bases its decisions on adequate scientific data and properly interprets those data. In this report, GAO assesses the extent to which (1) the Service's policies and practices ensure that listing and critical habitat decisions are based on the best available science and (2) external reviewers support the scientific data and conclusions that the Service used to make those decisions. In addition, GAO highlights the nature and extent that litigation is affecting the Service's ability to effectively manage its critical habitat program. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-803/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-803.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-803/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-803.pdf GAO-03-803 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-803 Other Written Product GAO-03-803; Endangered Species: Fish and Wildlife Service Uses Best Available Science to Make Listing Decisions, but Additional Guidance Needed for Critical Habitat Designations; Endangered species Strategic planning Wildlife conservation Wildlife management Program evaluation United States Statutes at Large Volume 93 Page 437 93 Stat. 437 United States Public Law 69 (96th Congress) Public Law 96-69