The National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed a policy for interpreting "significant portion of its range" under the Endangered Species Act on December 9, 2011. This policy details how the agencies propose to analyze whether a species is likely to become endangered, or is in danger of extinction throughout all or a "significant portion of its range," a key element in determining whether a species meets the definitions of threatened or endangered in the Endangered Species Act species listing process. The purpose of the policy is to provide a consistent standard that is a permissible reading of the statute and legislative history, while minimizing undesirable policy outcomes, and fulfilling the purpose of the Endangered Species Act. The two agencies are working together to address and incorporate comments as appropriate.