Threatened, Endangered and Sensitive Species

Boreal Owl Sledglings in a nest. The Threatened, Endangered and Sensitive (TES) Species Program is the Forest Service’s dedicated initiative to conserve and recover plant and animal species that need special management attention, and depend on National Forest and Grassland habitats.

There are several factors that can lead to endangerment and extinction of species. The single-most important one—and the one the Forest Service has the greatest influence over—is the alteration and loss of habitats. As manager of over 192 million acres of public lands and species habitats, the Forest Service and its partners play a key role in the conservation and recovery of at-risk species and maintenance of native biological diversity in the United States.

Photo of a Paunee Montana skipper.

In addition to contributing to the recovery of threatened and endangered species, the Forest Service also manages to conserve habitat for over 3,100 “sensitive” species—species that need special management to maintain and improve their status on National Forests and Grasslands, and prevent a need for listing under the Endangered Species Act. “Keeping all the parts” is a central tenet of ecosystem management, and is a core principle that guides the Forest Service’s management of the National Forests and Grasslands.