Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1969 Law and Legal Definition
The Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1969 (“Act”) was a U.S. federal legislation that contained amendments to the Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966. The major issue that prompted the 1969 Act was that animals nearing extinction were not being given sufficient protection. Under the new act, if species were in danger all across the globe, they could be listed as endangered in the United States. However, this provision dropped some species from the list that were only endangered in the U.S.
The Act required the creation of two endangered species lists: a. species native to the U.S.; and b. species native to other countries. Species on the U.S. list could be given focused treatment by government agencies within the U.S., such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Under the 1969 act, it was illegal for endangered species on the foreign list to come into the U.S. without consent. Further, the Act made the trade or killing of endangered animals within the U.S. illegal and punishable by fines or jail time.
