Endangered Species Conservation Act

Endangered Species Conservation Act - Provides that for purposes of this Act a species or subspecies of fish or wildlife shall be regarded as an endangered species whenever, in his discretion, the Secretary of the Interior determines, based on the best scientific and commercial data available to him and after appropriate consultation, that the continued existence of such species or subspecies of fish or wildlife, in the judgment of the Secretary, is either presently threatened with extinction or will likely within the foreseeable future become threatened with extinction, throughout all or a significant portion of its range, due to specified factors, including the destruction, drastic modification, or severe curtailment or the threatened destruction, drastic modification, or severe curtailment of its habitat.

Requires the Secretary to publish in the Federal Register a list of such endangered species.

Authorizes the Secretary to enter into agreements with the States for the administration and management of any area established for the conservation, protection, restoration, and propagation of endangered species.

Provides that, in carrying out the program authorized by this Act, the Secretary shall cooperate to the maximum extent practicable with the several States. Provides that such cooperation shall include consultation before the acquisition of any land for the purpose of conserving, protecting, restoring, or propagating any endangered species.

Provides that any person who: (1) imports into or exports from the United States, receives, or causes to be so imported, received, or exported; or (2) takes or causes to be taken within the United States, the territorial sea of the United States, or upon the high seas; or (3) ships, carries, or receives by any means in interstate commerce, any species or subspecies of fish or wildlife which the Secretary has listed as an endangered species threatened with extinction pursuant to this Act, shall be assessed a civil penalty by the Secretary of the Interior of not more than $5,000 for each such violation.

Exempts from the provisions of this Act American Indians, Aleuts, or Eskimos who take endangered species for their own consumption or ritual purposes in accordance with a treaty or pursuant to Executive order or Federal Statute. Provides that in order to minimize undue economic hardship to any person importing, exporting, taking, or transporting in interstate commerce any species or subspecies of fish or wildlife which is listed as an endangered species threatened with extinction pursuant to this Act under any contract entered into prior to the date of original publication of such listing in the Federal Register, the Secretary, upon such person filing an application with him and upon filing such information as the Secretary may require showing to his satisfaction such hardship, may permit such person to import, export, take or transport such species or subspecies in such quantities and for such periods, not to exceed one year, as he determines to be appropriate,

Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to promulgate such regulations as may be appropriate to carry out the purposes of this Act. Authorizes the Secretaries of the Treasury and the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating to promulgate such regulations as may be appropriate to carry out their responsibilities under this Act.

Directs the Secretary, through the Secretary of State, to encourage foreign countries to provide protection to species or subspecies of fish and wildlife threatened with extinction, to take measures to prevent any fish or wildlife from becoming threatened with extinction, and to cooperate with such countries in providing technical assistance in developing and carrying out programs to provide such protection. Directs the Secretary, through the Secretary of State, to encourage bilateral and multilateral agreements with such countries for the protection, conservation, and propagation of fish and wildlife.