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Recovery Planning for Threatened and Endangered Species

Announcements

  • Draft Guidelines for Recovery Planning are now available for review! See the Draft Guidelines for Recovery Planning section below for more information on the guidelines, submitting written comments, and/or attending the hybrid public meeting on June 17, 2025.

In 2018, a new state law (SB 473) gave the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) the authority to develop non-regulatory recovery plans for species listed under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA; Fish & G. Code, §2079.1). Completed recovery plans will provide practical frameworks for the recovery of CESA-listed plants and animals. Each plan will be based on the best available scientific information and will, at a minimum, include:

  • Site-specific management actions necessary for the recovery of the species
  • Objective, measurable criteria that, when achieved, would result in the potential delisting of the species
  • Estimates of the time required and the cost to carry out those measures and to achieve intermediate steps toward recovery

CDFW will prioritize recovery planning for species that are most likely to benefit from a recovery plan, particularly those threatened by land use changes, climate change, or aquatic habitat changes (Fish & G. Code, § 2079.1(b)).

Species listed under CESA may also be listed under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). Approximately 60% of CESA-listed species are listed under both laws and many may already have a federal recovery plan. For the CESA-listed species for which a federal recovery plan exists, CDFW has the authority to adopt, or adopt with revisions, the federal recovery plan. Any federal recovery plan proposed for adoption, or any newly drafted recovery plan, will go through public review and comment, including a public meeting in the recovery plan area, before being approved.

CDFW has drafted guidelines for recovery planning, which provide a framework for how CDFW will approach recovery planning for CESA-listed species. The recovery guidelines will go through a public review process pursuant to Fish and Game Code section 2079.1(g). Interested parties will be notified when the guidelines are ready for review and an announcement will be made to the CESA updates distribution list. To subscribe to CESA updates, click the Subscribe button on this page. Once the guidelines are completed and approved, a link will be posted on this page.

For any questions about CESA recovery planning, please email CESArecovery@wildlife.ca.gov.

 

Draft Guidelines for Recovery Planning

CDFW is beginning recovery planning for endangered and threatened species listed under the California Endangered Species Act. The Draft Guidelines for Recovery Planning (PDF) are now available for review.

The public comment period will occur May 27 - July 31, 2025, and will include a hybrid public meeting. Please submit written comments to CESArecovery@wildlife.ca.gov no later than July 31, 2025, and include “Guidelines for Recovery Planning” in the subject line. Comments may also be mailed to:

California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Wildlife Branch, Attn: Austin Roy/Recovery Guidelines
P.O. Box 944209
Sacramento, CA 94244-2090

As part of the public comment period, we invite participation in a public meeting discussing the proposed guidelines. The intent of this meeting is to present a summary of the proposed guidelines, receive public comment, and answer questions from participants. The public meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 17, and can be attended in person or remotely over Zoom.

Date: Tuesday, June 17, 2025: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Location: 715 P Street, Room 201, Sacramento, CA 95814
Virtual option: Zoom registration link (If calling into the meeting using the phone number provided, you may listen in, but we may be unable to take comments by phone. If you would like to comment, please join the meeting from the link provided instead of the phone number. We apologize for the inconvenience.)

We look forward to receiving your feedback on the Draft Guidelines for Recovery Planning. If you have any questions regarding this notification and request for input, please contact CDFW's Recovery Coordinators by email at CESArecovery@wildlife.ca.gov.

Following the public comment period, the information received will be reviewed and considered during the development of the final guidelines document. Once completed, the Guidelines for Recovery Planning will be posted to this web page.

Draft Recovery Plans

There are currently no draft recovery plans.

Approved Recovery Plans

There are currently no approved recovery plans.

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Habitat Conservation Planning Branch
P.O. Box 944209, Sacramento, CA 94244-2090
HCPB@wildlife.ca.gov