Under the Endangered Species Act, which entities coordinate with the EPA to suspend pesticide use if endangered species could be harmed?

Under the Endangered Species Act, which entities coordinate with the EPA to suspend pesticide use if endangered species could be harmed?

• A. US Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA and the Fisheries Service
• B. National Park Service and Department of Agriculture
• C. Environmental Protection Agency and US Forest Service
• D. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and US Geological Survey

Answer: (A)

Under this act, federal actions must account for endangered or threatened species, so the EPA teams up with the agencies that protect those species. The two main partners are the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for terrestrial and freshwater species and NOAA’s Fisheries Service (also known as NOAA Fisheries) for marine species. Through consultations, they assess potential harm from pesticide use and can require suspending or modifying registrations or uses to avoid jeopardizing listed species or damaging critical habitats. Other agencies listed don’t have the mandated ESA consultation role tied to pesticide suspensions in this context. So the coordination needed to suspend pesticide use if endangered species could be harmed involves the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries.

Under this act, federal actions must account for endangered or threatened species, so the EPA teams up with the agencies that protect those species. The two main partners are the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for terrestrial and freshwater species and NOAA’s Fisheries Service (also known as NOAA Fisheries) for marine species. Through consultations, they assess potential harm from pesticide use and can require suspending or modifying registrations or uses to avoid jeopardizing listed species or damaging critical habitats. Other agencies listed don’t have the mandated ESA consultation role tied to pesticide suspensions in this context. So the coordination needed to suspend pesticide use if endangered species could be harmed involves the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries.