What Is a distinct population segment?
The ESA allows certain populations of species to be designated as Distinct Population Segments in order to provide greater protections to those populations. However, the legislative history and statutory structure of the ESA demonstrate that DPSs were to be utilized only when listing the species or subspecies was not warranted; they were not created to be used as a delisting tool.
The ESA allows certain populations of species to be designated as Distinct Population Segments in order to provide greater protections to those populations. However, the legislative history and statutory structure of the ESA demonstrate that DPSs were to be utilized only when listing the species or subspecies was not warranted; they were not created to be used as a delisting tool. In order for a population to qualify as a DPS, it must be distinct from other populations of the same species based upon these criteria: • The population must be located in an unusual or unique ecological setting. • The loss of the population must result in a significant gap in the range of the species. • The population must represent the only surviving natural occurrence within its historic range. • The population must have marked genetic differences from other populations of the species. The populations of wolves in the proposed DPSs fail to satisfy any of the requirements: • The location of these populatio
