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EPA EcoBox

EPA EcoBox Tools by Receptors - Endangered, Threatened or Other Species of Concern

Overview

Endangered SpeciesEndangered species are those plants and animals that have become so rare they are in danger of becoming extinct. Threatened species are plants and animals that are likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of their ranges. Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), all federal agencies are required to ensure that their regulatory actions are not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of threatened or endangered species or destroy or adversely modify their critical habitat. The ESA is administered by the Interior Department's Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries, depending on the species. EPA's general process for assessing risks to threatened and endangered species and their habitats includes a formal consultation with the FWS and NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service. Species may be protected under other Federal laws such as the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act. Additional species of special concern can be designated at the state level.

Other species of concern that might be considered in an ERA include keystone species—species whose presence dramatically alters the structure and dynamics of ecological systems—and susceptible species. Ecological receptors are considered susceptible when they are sensitive to a stressor to which they are or may be exposed. For example, a mammal such as a mink could be selected as a receptor for a bioaccumulative stressorHelpbioaccumulative stressorAny physical, chemical, or biological entity that can induce an adverse response (synonymous with agent) that has an increase in concentration in the biological organism over time. such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), since mink is documented to be sensitive to the bioaccumulation of PCBs.

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Endangered Species Websites
U.S. Federal Agency Websites
U.S. EPA Protecting Endangered Species from Pesticides
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Endangered Species
National Marine Fisheries Service Endangered Species Conservation
U.S. State Websites The following links exit the site Exit
Alabama Endangered and Threatened Species
Alaska Special Status Species
Arizona Threatened and Endangered Species Conservation
Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program
Arkansas Arkansas' Endangered Species 
California Threatened and Endangered Species
Colorado Threatened and Endangered List
Connecticut Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Species in Connecticut
Delaware Delaware's Endangered Species
Florida Florida's Imperiled Species
Florida's Federally Listed Plant Species
Georgia Georgia Rare Species and Natural Community Data
Hawaii Species of Greatest Conservation Need
Idaho Threatened, Endangered, and Candidate Species
Illinois Illinois Endangered Species Protection Board
Indiana Endangered Species
Iowa Iowa's Threatened and Endangered Species Program
Kansas Federal Threatened and Endangered Species in Kansas
Kentucky Kentucky's Threatened and Endangered Species
Louisiana Threatened and Endangered Species of Louisiana
Maine Rare Plants
Rare Animals
Maryland Rare, Threatened & Endangered Animals
Massachusetts Massachusetts List of Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Species
Michigan Threatened and Endangered Species
Minnesota Minnesota's Endangered, Threatened, and Special Concern Species
Mississippi None available
Missouri Endangered Species
Montana Species of Interest
Species Status Codes
Nebraska Nebraska Threatened & Endangered Species
Endangered Species Protection
Nevada Nevada Natural Heritage Program: Species List
New Hampshire Endangered and Threatened Wildlife of NH
New Jersey New Jersey's Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
Wildlife Species of Special Concern in New Jersey
New Mexico Threatened & Endangered Species
New York Endangered Species
North Carolina None available
North Dakota Threatened and Endangered Species
Endangered Species Protection
Ohio State Listed Wildlife Species
Oklahoma Oklahoma's Threatened and Endangered Species
Oregon Threatened, Endangered, and Candidate Fish and Wildlife Species
Pennsylvania Threatened and Endangered Species
Pennsylvania Listed Plants
Rhode Island None available
South Carolina SC Rare, Threatened & Endangered Species Inventory
South Dakota Threatened and Endangered Species
Tennessee Endangered or Threatened Species
Texas Federal and State Listed Species in Texas
Rare, Threatened, and Endangered
Species of Texas by County
Utah Endangered and Threatened Animals of Utah
Utah Conservation Data Center: Reports and Lists
Vermont Vermont Endangered and Threatened Species
Virginia Endangered Species
Washington Species of Concern
West Virginia Rare, Threatened and Endangered Species
Wisconsin Wisconsin's Endangered and Threatened Species List
Wyoming None available

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Tools

Information and data sources are available to assist with identifying potential threatened and endangered species to use as receptors in an ERA. Please note that many resources from private organizations also provide species lists, but are not included in the tool table below. The resources compiled here are generally limited to freely available resources from U.S. state and federal sources.

In addition to the tools shown below, there are many available sources of information and data related to the fate and transport of contaminants in environmental media and the transfer of contaminants from an environmental medium to receptor. See the Chemical module of the Stressors Tool Set for information and tools on fate and transport related to chemical stressors.

See the Food Chains and Webs module of the Exposure Pathways (Media) Tool Set for information, data sources, and modeling tools available to help in the evaluation of food chain and food web contaminant transfers in an ERA.

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