The Handbook provides internal guidance and establishes national policy for conducting consultation and conferences pursuant to section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. The purpose of the Handbook is to promote efficiency and nationwide consistency within and between the Services. The Handbook addresses the major consultation processes, including informal, formal, emergency, and special consultations, and conferences.

Combined reports of: Report to Congress and Report for the Secretary of Agriculture.

That is what this book is about. It is a framework for planning, in which habitat is the key to managing wildlife and making forest managers accountable for their actions. This book is based on the collective knowledge of one group of resource professionals and their understanding about how wildlife relate to forest habitats. And it provides a longoverdue system for considering the impacts of changes in forest structure on all resident wildlife.