Endangered Species Act Section 4(f) requires that recovery plans be prepared for listed species. It envisions such plans as the central organizing tool for guiding the recovery process for each species and for implementing the ESA as a whole. Recovery plans are guidance documents, not regulatory documents. A plan is intended as a road map for species recovery and is one of the most important tools to ensure sound scientific and logistical decision-making throughout the recovery process.

Recovery plans must contain:

• objective measurable criteria for delisting the species
• site-specific actions
• estimates of the time and cost for implementing the recovery plan.

In addition to outlining proactive measures, recovery plans provide the context and framework for implementing other provisions of the ESA, such as Section 7(a)(2) consultations on federal agency actions, development of habitat conservation plans (HCPs) under Section 10, special rules for threatened species under Section 4(d), and designation of critical habitat. NOAA Fisheries Service is implementing these other ESA provisions to be consistent with recovery plans.