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Endangered Species Act of 1973

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The Endangered Species Act

The second half of the twentieth century was a time of the greatest advancements in environmental awareness in history. It was during this time that people began to realize there impact on the environment. People began to realize that something must be done to stop the negative impacts on their surroundings which caused the environmental movement to be born. One of the most important factors that resulted from this has been the protection of endangered species. Many actions have been taken to ensure the protection of endangered species including two major policies: CITES and the Endangered Species Act. In 1966, Congress passed the Endangered Species Preservation Act, this provided limited protection to a list of native animal species. The Departments of Agriculture, Interior and Defense were responsible for the protection of these species and the preservation of their habitats. This act also gave land to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to help maintain these natural habitats. The Endangered species act was amended in 1969 because more protection was needed. With the threat of worldwide extinction, the amendment called for an international meeting and changed the name to the Endangered Species Conservation Act. Several years later, in 1973, the United States and twenty-three other nations signed an international act called CITES or the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna. CITES monitors and restricts international commerce to protect species impacted by trade. The ideas of creating this convention began in the 60s, when several African countries noticed population declines in species that are commonly killed for their skins. At the time, jaguar skins were being imported to the US at rates of up to 13,000 skins per year. Because this treaty was international, it was widely

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