Appeals Court Defines Endangered Species

SACRAMENTO (CN) – A California appeals court addressed the definitions of terms central to a dispute over the listing of two species of salmon under the California Endangered Species Act.     “In enacting CESA, the Legislature made clear this state’s policy to protect any endangered or threatened ‘species or subspecies’ if at risk of extinction ‘throughout all, or a significant portion, of its range,’ but left undefined certain terms essential to implementing that policy,” Justice Robie wrote.      The court defined “species or subspecies” to include evolutionarily significant units and said “range” refers to a species’ California range only, not the species’ national or worldwide range. See ruling.