Endangered Species Act of 1969

It also prohibited the importation from any foreign country any animal-whole or in part, any product, or any egg belonging to a species on that list.

Limited exceptions for scientific, educational, zoological, or propagational purposes and for certain cases of commercial "economic hardship" were allowed under strict permitting procedures.

Introduced by Iowa Congressman John F. Lacey in the House of Representatives in 1900 and signed into law by President William McKinley on May 25, 1900, it was originally "directed more at the preservation of game and wild birds by making it a federal crime to poach game in one state with the purpose of selling the bounty in another".

"[7] Finally, the 1969 Act authorized up to $15 million to be appropriated to acquire land for the purpose of conserving, protecting, restoring, or propagating any endangered species.

The act is administered by two federal agencies, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service(FWS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).