As used in sections 22a-2, 23-5c, 23-74, 23-75, 26-40c, 26-40d, 26-40f and 26-303 to 26-315, inclusive:

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(1) “Department” means the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection;

(2) “Conserve” and “conservation” mean to use all methods and procedures necessary to maintain or increase the populations of any endangered or threatened species to the point at which the provisions of sections 22a-2, 23-5c, 23-74, 23-75, 26-40c, 26-40d, 26-40f and 26-303 to 26-315, inclusive, are no longer necessary, including, but not limited to, all activities associated with resources management, such as research, census, monitoring, regulation and law enforcement, habitat acquisition, restoration and maintenance, propagation, live trapping, transplantation and regulated taking;

(3) “Wildlife” means all species of invertebrates, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals which are wild by nature and parts thereof;

(4) “Plants” means any member of the plant kingdom and parts thereof;

(5) “Native” means any species indigenous to this state;

(6) “Species” means any species, subspecies, or variety of animal or plant, and includes any distinct population segment of any animal or plant;

(7) “Endangered species” means any native species documented by biological research and inventory to be in danger of extirpation throughout all or a significant portion of its range within the state and to have no more than five occurrences in the state, and any species determined to be an “endangered species” pursuant to the federal Endangered Species Act;

(8) “Threatened species” means any native species documented by biological research and inventory to be likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range within the state and to have no more than nine occurrences in the state, and any species determined to be a “threatened species” pursuant to the federal Endangered Species Act, except for such species determined to be endangered by the commissioner in accordance with section 26-306;

(9) “Species of special concern” means any native plant species or any native nonharvested wildlife species documented by scientific research and inventory to have a naturally restricted range or habitat in the state, to be at a low population level, to be in such high demand by man that its unregulated taking would be detrimental to the conservation of its populations or has been extirpated from the state;

(10) “Endangered Species Act” means the Endangered Species Act of 1973, Public Law 93-205, as amended from time to time;

(11) “Take” or “taking” mean to capture, collect, destroy, harm, hunt, kill, pursue, shoot, trap, snare, net, possess, transport, remove, sell or offer for sale, export or import or to attempt to engage in any such conduct or any act of assistance to any other person in taking or attempting to take such native wildlife and native plants whether or not such act results in capture or collection;

(12) “Essential habitat” means the geographic area which contains those physical or biological features which are identifiable and have been demonstrated as being decisive to the continued existence of any endangered or threatened species and includes, but is not limited to, significant areas used for courtship, mating, and other reproductive activities, rearing of young, feeding and shelter of endangered and threatened species;

(13) “Destruction or adverse modification of essential habitat” means any activity that significantly alters, pollutes, impairs, degrades, damages, destroys or otherwise reduces the ability of the habitat to sustain populations of endangered or threatened species;

(14) “Threaten the continued existence” means to engage in any action that reduces appreciably the likelihood of the survival and recovery of an endangered or threatened species in the wild by reducing the reproduction, numbers, or distribution of such species;

(15) “Occurrence” means a population of a species breeding and existing within the same ecological community and capable or potentially capable of interbreeding with other members of that species within that community.