Protected Under the California Endangered Species Act CESA Listing Process Permitting Overview Incidental Take Permits Consistency Determinations Safe Harbor Agreements Scientific, Educational, & Management Permits Choosing the Right CESA Permit Recovery Planning Mitigation Land Acquisition Status Reviews of Candidate Species Five-Year Species Reviews Status Summaries (All Species) Compare CESA to Federal ESA Additional CESA Resources On this page Overview Subscribe California’s Threatened and Endangered Species Fully Protected Species Bumble Bee Survey Resources Related Programs The California Endangered Species Act (CESA)(opens in new tab) is a California environmental law that conserves and protects plant and animal species at risk of extinction. Originally enacted in 1970, CESA was repealed and replaced by an updated version in 1984 and amended in 1997. Plant and animal species may be designated threatened or endangered under CESA after a formal listing process by the California Fish and Game Commission(opens in new tab). Approximately 250 species are currently listed under CESA. A CESA-listed species, or any part or product of the plant or animal, may not be imported into the state, exported out of the state, “taken” (i.e., killed), possessed, purchased, or sold without proper authorization. Implementation of CESA has reduced and avoided impacts to California’s most imperiled plants and animals, has protected hundreds of thousands of acres of vital habitat, and has led to a greater scientific understanding of California’s incredible biodiversity. CDFW works with agencies, organizations, and other interested persons to study, protect, and preserve CESA-listed species and their habitats. CDFW also conducts scientific reviews of species petitioned for listing under CESA, administers regulatory permitting programs to authorize take of listed species, maintains an extensive database of listed species occurrences, and conducts periodic reviews of listed species to determine if the conditions that led to original listing are still present. Subscribe Sign up to receive announcements related to species listed or petitioned under the California Endangered Species Act. Subscribe(opens in new tab) CESA News Western burrowing owl and Bear Lake buckwheat confirmed as candidate species November 8, 2024 On October 25th, 2024 the Fish and Game Commission posted the findings notices regarding the petitions to list western burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) and Bear Lake buckwheat (Eriogonum microtheca var. lacus-ursi). Since the Commission found both petitions warranted, both species are now candidates for listing under CESA and are protected by the same take prohibitions given to species listed as endangered and threatened under CESA. For more information on take permit types see our CESA permitting webpage. CESA News Archive California’s Threatened and Endangered Species Threatened or Endangered Animal Species List (PDF)(opens in new tab) Threatened or Endangered Plant Species List (PDF)(opens in new tab) California Natural Diversity Database inventory of the status and locations of rare, threatened, and endangered plants and animals in California (subscription required) Fully Protected Species Fully protected species may not be taken or possessed except with authorization from CDFW and only under specific circumstances. New Bumble Bee Survey Resources Bombus crotchii. By Ashley Kammet. Survey Considerations for CESA Candidate Bumble Bees (PDF)(opens in new tab) Bombus franklini range map (PDF)(opens in new tab) Bombus crotchii range map (PDF)(opens in new tab) Bombus suckleyi range map (PDF)(opens in new tab) Bombus occidentalis range map (PDF)(opens in new tab) Related Programs Wildlife Diversity Program Native Plant Program Fisheries Branch Programs Landscape Conservation Planning Environmental Review and Permitting Threatened and Endangered Species Tax Check-off Program