Federal action review under the Endangered Species Act

This flow-chart diagrams the federal action review process set forth in section 7(a)2 of the Endangered Species Act and 50 CFR Part 402. The Endangered Species Act prohibits federal agencies from jeopardizing the continued existence of a species or destroying or adversely modifying designated critical habitat. To ensure this doesn’t happen, the Act lays out a review, or consultation, process enabling federal agencies, through interaction with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to identify and address the impacts of their actions.