Title 16, ConservationRelease 119-102

§2903 Conservation Plans

Title 16 › CHAPTER 49 — FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION › § 2903

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

Require the State to make a conservation plan and give the State agency in charge the overall responsibility for creating and updating it. The plan must list nongame fish and wildlife and any other species the agency thinks the public values for ecological, educational, esthetic, cultural, recreational, economic, or scientific reasons. For those species (called "plan species"), the plan must estimate population size, range, and distribution and locate and describe their important habitats and condition. It must name major problems that could harm the species or habitats, decide what actions to take, and set priorities for those actions. The plan must include regular monitoring of the species and how well the actions work, be reviewed and revised as appropriate at least every 3 years, give the public chances to comment, and require the State agency to consult with federal and other State agencies to avoid duplicating work and share the best information.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §2903

Conservation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The conservation plan for any State must—

(1)provide for the vesting in the designated State agency of the overall responsibility for the development and revision of the conservation plan;

(2)provide for an inventory of the nongame fish and wildlife, and such other fish and wildlife as the designated State agency deems appropriate, that are within the State and are valued for ecological, educational, esthetic, cultural, recreational, economic, or scientific benefits by the public;

(3)with respect to those species identified under paragraph (2) (hereinafter in this section referred to as “plan species”), provide for—

(A)the determination of the size, range, and distribution of their populations, and

(B)the identification of the extent, condition, and location of their significant habitats;

(4)identify the significant problems which may adversely affect the plan species and their significant habitats;

(5)determine those actions which should be taken to conserve the plan species and their significant habitats;

(6)establish priorities for implementing the conservation actions determined under paragraph (5);

(7)provide for the monitoring, on a regular basis, of the plan species and the effectiveness of the conservation actions determined under paragraph (5);

(8)provide for plan review and revision, if appropriate, at intervals of not more than 3 years;

(9)ensure that the public be given opportunity to make its views known and considered during the development, revision, and implementation of the plan; and

(10)provide that the designated State agency consult, as appropriate, with Federal agencies, and other State agencies during the development, revision, and implementation of the plan, in order to minimize duplication of efforts and to ensure that the best information is available to all such agencies.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 2903

Title 16, Conservation

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102