December 15, 2020 Brian Hires, 703-358-2191, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service have finalized a regulatory definition of the term “habitat” that will be used for designating critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The definition is part of the efforts of the Trump Administration to balance effective, science-based conservation with common-sense policy designed to bring the ESA into the 21st century. “This action will bring greater clarity and consistency to how the Service designates critical habitat,” said Rob Wallace, Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks . “Making the Endangered Species Act more effective at conserving imperiled wildlife and more transparent and user friendly for stakeholders represents a win-win for everyone.”