16 U.S.C. § 1531: Congressional findings and declaration of purposes and policy

various species of fish, wildlife, and plants in the United States have been rendered extinct as a consequence of economic growth and development untempered by adequate concern and conservation; other species of fish, wildlife, and plants have been so depleted in numbers that they are in danger of or threatened with extinction; these species of fish, wildlife, and plants are of esthetic, ecological, educational, historical, recreational, and scientific value to the Nation and its people; migratory bird treaties with Canada and Mexico; the Migratory and Endangered Bird Treaty with Japan; the Convention on Nature Protection and Wildlife Preservation in the Western Hemisphere; the International Convention for the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries; the International Convention for the High Seas Fisheries of the North Pacific Ocean; the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora; and other international agreements; and encouraging the States and other interested parties, through Federal financial assistance and a system of incentives, to develop and maintain conservation programs which meet national and international standards is a key to meeting the Nation’s international commitments and to better safeguarding, for the benefit of all citizens, the Nation’s herit­age in fish, wildlife, and plants. The purposes of this chapter are to provide a means whereby the ecosystems upon which endangered species and threatened species depend may be conserved, to provide a program for the conservation of such endangered species and threatened species, and to take such steps as may be appropriate to achieve the purposes of the treaties and conventions set forth in subsection (a) of this section. It is further declared to be the policy of Congress that all Federal departments and agencies shall seek to conserve endangered species and threatened species and shall utilize their authorities in furtherance of the purposes of this chapter. It is further declared to be the policy of Congress that Federal agencies shall cooperate with State and local agencies to resolve water resource issues in concert with conservation of endangered species. the document entitled ‘Partnership Agreement Between the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service and the United States Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service’, numbered A–3A7516–937, and formalized by the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service on September 15, 2016 , and by the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service on August 4, 2016 , as in effect on September 15, 2016 ; and United States Fish and Wildlife Service Director’s Order No. 217, dated August 9, 2016 , as in effect on August 9, 2016 . The Secretary and the Secretary of the Interior may expand the conservation model described in subsection (a) through a new partnership agreement between the Farm Service Agency and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service for the purpose of carrying out conservation activities for species conservation. In this subsection, the term ‘period of regulatory predictability’ means the period of regulatory predictability under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 ( 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) initially determined in accordance with the document and order described in paragraphs (1) and (2), respectively, of subsection (a). After the period of regulatory predictability, on request of the Secretary, the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, may provide additional consultation under section 7(a)(2) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 ( 16 U.S.C. 1536(a)(2) ), or additional conference under section 7(a)(4) of that Act ( 16 U.S.C. 1536(a)(4) ), as applicable, with the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service or the Administrator of the Farm Service Agency, as applicable, to extend the period of regulatory predictability.”