ILLINOIS AUDUBON BULLETIN hy) 
curtain around a particular area; 
that is, it does not create a wilder- 
ness area, inviolable sanctuary, or 
sealed-off refuge. Furthermore, | 
would stress that it does not give 
the Fish and Wildlife Service or any 
other government agency an ease- 
ment on private property nor will it 
affect the ultimate jurisdiction re- 
garding any public lands. 
Critical habitat is provided for by 
section 7 of the Endangered Spe- 
cies Act of 1973, which charges 
Federal agencies — and only Fed- 
eral agencies — with the responsi- 
bility for ensuring actions autho- 
rized, funded, or carried out by 
them do not either 1) jeopardize 
the continued existence of Endan- 
gered or Threatened Species or 2) 
result in destruction or adverse 
modification of the habitats of 
these species. (State and private 
actions that do not involve Federal 
money or approval do not come 
under the terms of the Act.) 
Simply stated, critical habitat is 
the area of land, water, and _ air- 
space required for the normal 
needs and survival of a species. As 
published in the Federal Register 
(F.R.) on April 22, 1975, the Ser- 
vice has defined these needs as 
space for growth, movements, and 
behavior; food and water; sites for 
breeding and rearing of offspring; 
cover or shelter; and other biologi- 
cal or physical requirements. De- 
termination of a critical habitat 
may include consideration of cer- 
tain biological, physical, or human 
elements of a species’ environ- 
ment, if — but only if — the ele- 
ment is required for the continued 
survival or reasonable recovery of 
the species. 
We are taking special pains to 
make sure that every shred of bio- 
logical data is obtained and ana- 
lyzed before any critical habitat is 
determined. Federal and State 
agencies are being contacted in 
writing prior to publication of a 
proposal. Once the proposal has 
been published, written comments 
on its biological adequacy are ac- 
tively sought from all interested 
parties. In some cases, if the situa- 
tion warrants, public hearings are 
being held in the affected States to 
seek the views of local residents. It 
is only after all of this biological 
information has been collected and 
carefully analyzed that a final de- 
termination is made. 
Once the final determination has 
been published, its only effect is to 
cause Federal agencies managing 
lands or administering programs 
within the area to examine their 
actions in light of section 7. 
The actions of private individu- 
als (farmers, ranchers, trappers, 
etc.), firms, and State agencies are 
not affected unless funding or ap- 
proval from a Federal agency is 
involved. 
If an action does require Federal 
funds or approval, then the partic- 
ular Federal agency having juris- 
diction must decide whether or not 
the action would “jeopardize the 
continued existence of the species 
or result in destruction or modifi- 
cation”’ of its critical habitat. 
There is no way to predict how 
Federal agencies will decide about 
particular actions in particular 
