In what year was the Endangered Species Act enacted?

• A. 1986
• B. 1973
• C. 1966
• D. 1990

Answer: (B)

The question is about when the Endangered Species Act became law, a landmark step in U.S. conservation that created formal protections for species at risk and the habitats they depend on. It was enacted in 1973, with Congress passing the law and it being signed by the President that year. This statute established the process to list species as endangered or threatened, prohibited certain activities that harm those species, and set up mechanisms like critical habitat designations and recovery plans to help species recover.

Earlier in the 1960s there were precursor protections, such as the Endangered Species Protection Act, but the comprehensive Endangered Species Act itself dates to 1973. Dates like 1986 or 1990 refer to later amendments or related regulatory changes, not the original enactment year.