MARVIN MANDEL, Governor                               1039

the defendant.]

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That new
Sections 10—2A01 through 10—2A09, inclusive, to be under
the new subtitle "2A. Nongame and Endangered Species
Conservation Act" be and they are hereby added to Article
— Natural Resources, of the Annotated Code of Maryland
(1974 Volume and 1974 Supplement) to read as follows:

Article — natural Resources

2A. NONGAME AND ENDANGERED SPECIES CONSERVATION ACT

10-2A01.

(A)    IN THIS SUBTITLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE
MEANINGS INDICATED.

(B)    "CONSERVE" MEANS TO USE ALL METHODS AND
PROCEDURES FOR THE PURPOSE OF INCREASING THE NUMBER OF
INDIVIDUALS WITHIN SPECIES OR POPULATIONS UP TO THE
OPTIMUM CARRYING CAPACITY OF THEIR HABITAT AND
MAINTAINING THESE LEVELS. THESE METHODS AND PROCEDURES
INCLUDE ALL ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH SCIENTIFIC
RESOURCES MANAGEMENT SUCH AS RESEARCH, CENSUS, LAW
ENFORCEMENT, HABITAT ACQUISITION AND MAINTENANCE,
PROPAGATION, LIVE TRAPPING, AND TRANSPLANTATION,
INCLUDING THE PERIODIC OR TOTAL PROTECTION OF SPECIES OR
POPULATIONS AS WELL AS REGULATED TAKING. WITH RESPECT TO
ENDANGERED AND THREATENED SPECIES, THE TERM MEANS TO USE
ALL METHODS AND PROCEDURES INCLUDING THOSE DESCRIBED
ABOVE WHICH ARE NECESSARY TO BRING ANY ENDANGERED OR
THREATENED SPECIES TO THE POINT AT WHICH THE MEASURES
PROVIDED FOR THESE SPECIES PURSUANT TO THIS SUBTITLE ARE
NO LONGER NECESSARY, EXCEPT THAT REGULATED TAKING AS A
METHOD AND PROCEDURE SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE
EXTRAORDINARY CASE WHERE POPULATION PRESSURES WITHIN A
GIVEN ECOSYSTEM CANNOT BE OTHERWISE BELIEVED.

(C)    "ECOSYSTEM" MEANS A SYSTEM OF LIVING ORGANISMS
AND THEIR ENVIRONMENT, EACH INFLUENCING THE EXISTENCE OF
THE OTHER AND BOTH NECESSARY FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF LIFE.

(D) "ENDANGERED SPECIES" MEANS ANY SPECIES WHOSE
CONTINUED EXISTENCE AS A VIABLE COMPONENT OF THE STATE'S
WILDLIFE OR PLANTS IS DETERMINED TO BE IN JEOPARDY
INCLUDING ANY SPECIES OF WILDLIFE OR PLANT DETERMINED TO
BE AN "ENDANGERED SPECIES" PURSUANT TO THE ENDANGERED
SPECIES ACT.

(E) "ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT" MEANS THE ENDANGERED
SPECIES ACT OF 1973, 87 STAT. 884.