Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) are required to create an Endangered Species Recovery Plan outlining the goals, tasks required, likely costs, and estimated timeline to recover endangered species (i.e., increase their numbers and improve their management to the point where they can be removed from the endangered list). The ESA does not specify when a recovery plan must be completed. The FWS has a policy specifying completion within three years of the species being listed, but the average time to completion is approximately six years. The annual rate of recovery plan completion increased steadily from the Ford administration (4) through Carter (9), Reagan (30), Bush I (44), and Clinton (72), but declined under Bush II (16 per year as of 9/1/06). COUNT 5
QSN1 What four topics are required in an Endangered Species Recovery Plan? ANS1 goals, tasks required, likely costs, and estimated timeline to recover endangered species QSN2 What is the time limit for completing an Endangered Species Recovery Plan? ANS2 The ESA does not specify when a recovery plan must be completed. QSN3 What Recovery Plan duration the does Fish and Wildlife Service plan for in their policies? ANS3 completion within three years QSN4 What is the average time of completion of an Endangered Species Recovery Plan? ANS4 approximately six years QSN5 Which president had the most completed Recovery Plans during their administration? ANS5 Clinton (72)