ESA Essentials: Endangered Species Act

Covering the major elements of the statute, regulations, and case law, this updated edition of the practice-focused Endangered Species Act Essentials is a useful, quick reference and a valuable starting point for further research. Whether handling your first ESA matter or an experienced practitioner, ESA Essentials: Endangered Species Act's organization and presentation of the essentials helps locate the fundamental information for quick answers and directing further inquiry. From species listing and critical habitat designation basics to the intricacies of interagency consultation and biological opinions, the essentials are set out in clear fashion with discussion of the key case law decisions, agency guidance, and other considerations. The book covers the now fifty-plus years of ESA implementation.

About the Author :
Murray Feldman is a partner in the Boise, Idaho, office of Holland & Hart LLP. He represents clients in Endangered Species Act litigation and administrative proceedings on species listing, critical habitat designation, consultation, habitat conservation planning, and related issues. He has worked on ESA matters throughout the Pacific Northwest, Intermountain West, Alabama, Michigan, New York, and Texas ranging from the polar bear to the piping plover. His practice also includes National Environmental Policy Act, Clean Water Act, public lands, and climate change issues. Murray is a past chair of the Idaho Humanities Council, co-editor of Idaho Wilderness Considered (2016), a past trustee of the Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law, and a contributor to The Codex of the Endangered Species Act, Volume II: The Next Fifty Years (2024). He received his JD from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, an MS degree from the University of Idaho College of Natural Resources, and a BS from the U.C. Berkeley College of Natural Resources. Sam Kalen is the IU McKinney Family Chair in Environmental Law at Indiana University McKinney School of Law. From 2009 to 2024 he was at the University of Wyoming College of Law and most recently served at Wyoming as the William T. Schwartz Distinguished Professor of Law and Associate Dean. Professor Kalen is a nationally recognized environmental, energy, public land, and natural resources professor. He is a co-author of Natural Resources Law and Policy (4th ed. Foundation Press 2025) and of Energy Follies: Missteps, Fiascos, and Success of America’s Energy Policy (Cambridge U. Press 2018), and he has authored numerous law review articles and book chapters. Prior to becoming a law professor, Mr. Kalen worked for a law firm in Washington, D.C., and served in the Solicitor’s Office at the Department of the Interior.