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Endangered Species: Management Improvements Could Enhance Recovery Program

RCED-89-5 Published: Dec 21, 1988. Publicly Released: Jan 19, 1989.
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Highlights

In response to a congressional request, GAO examined possible implementation deficiencies under the Endangered Species Program to determine: (1) the extent of recovery of domestic threatened and endangered species; (2) federal agencies' progress in developing recovery plans; and (3) whether the agencies implemented their recovery plans.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Commerce The Secretaries of Commerce and the Interior should direct the Directors, NMFS and FWS, respectively, to develop and maintain centralized information on the status of all listed domestic species.
Closed – Implemented
NMFS has developed a database which will track the status of all domestic species and the recovery activities surrounding those species. The Endangered Species Information Tracking System is now online.
Department of the Interior The Secretaries of Commerce and the Interior should direct the Directors, NMFS and FWS, respectively, to develop and maintain centralized information on the status of all listed domestic species.
Closed – Implemented
Interior determined that the development and maintenance of a centralized system was not cost-beneficial. A decentralized system has been implemented at the seven regional offices. Information is "centralized" as part of the region's annual report to the Secretary and biannual report to Congress.
Department of Commerce The Secretaries of Commerce and the Interior should direct the Directors, NMFS and FWS, respectively, to develop and maintain a tracking system of all initiated recovery activities. Initiated tasks should be identified by recovery plan task numbers and, when possible, indicate implementation costs.
Closed – Implemented
NMFS has developed a tracking system of all recovery activities, including implementation costs, as well as the status of all domestic species. The Endangered Species Information Tracking System is currently online.
Department of the Interior The Secretaries of Commerce and the Interior should direct the Directors, NMFS and FWS, respectively, to develop and maintain a tracking system of all initiated recovery activities. Initiated tasks should be identified by recovery plan task numbers and, when possible, indicate implementation costs.
Closed – Implemented
Interior issued revised Recovery Planning Guidelines which include instructions for recovery plans and expenditure report requirements. An expenditure report has been issued.
Department of Commerce The Secretaries of Commerce and the Interior should direct the Directors, NMFS and FWS, respectively, to ensure that: (1) recovery plans are annually reviewed, are updated as necessary, and do not contain inappropriately classified high-priority task designations; and (2) the priority systems are used in allocating recovery funds or amended. The Director, NMFS, should also clarify how the agency's priority system, once finalized, can recognize species approaching recovery while giving priority to the most endangered species.
Closed – Implemented
NMFS has published proposed recovery plan guidelines to incorporate the recommendation, but the guidelines call for periodic review, not annual review.
Department of the Interior The Secretaries of Commerce and the Interior should direct the Directors, NMFS and FWS, respectively, to ensure that: (1) recovery plans are annually reviewed, are updated as necessary, and do not contain inappropriately classified high-priority task designations; and (2) the priority systems are used in allocating recovery funds or amended. The Director, NMFS, should also clarify how the agency's priority system, once finalized, can recognize species approaching recovery while giving priority to the most endangered species.
Closed – Implemented
Interior has revised its Recovery Planning Guidelines to better assign task priorities requiring annual review of recovery plans, and ensure that priorities are appropriate and effectively utilized.
Department of the Interior The Secretary of the Interior should direct the Director, FWS, to take those steps necessary to ensure that any funding reallocations within the Endangered Species Program comply with budgetary reprogramming procedures.
Closed – Implemented
The Director, FWS, issued a memorandum to all regional and headquarters program staff directing them to take those steps necessary to ensure that any funding reallocations within the Endangered Species Program comply with budgetary reprogramming procedures.

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Topics

Endangered speciesEnvironmental lawEnvironmental monitoringEnvironmental policiesFunds managementProgram managementWildlife conservationSpeciesExpenditure of fundsWildlife