The article provides an in-depth look at the context of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) and discusses its impact on the energy and mineral industries in the U.S. According to the author, the main objective of the ESA when it was created was to regulate land and water uses to benefit wildlife. Furthermore, the author notes, the ESA is considered as the most stringent environmental law in U.S. history as compared to its contemporaries, namely, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, the Clean Air Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. One factor that distinguishes the ESA from others is its increasing encroachment on human conduct.