From wolves to wolverines, the US Fish and Wildlife Service is facing more scrutiny and more political pressure in its carrying out the Endangered Species Act than ever before. Political appointees have undermined the role of science in informing listing and delisting decisions. Peer-review processes have been fraught with conflicts of interest. Members of Congress have made political footballs out of individual species and proposed bills that seek to weaken the law itself. FWS scientists express concerns about the role of political influence in agency decision making. In the wake of these issues, the FWS has upped its game in many ways—promoting scientific integrity and public participation in agency rulemaking, revising peer-review policies, and providing whistleblower protection trainings to its staff. What are the impacts of these changes? What can the agency do to better ensure a culture of scientific integrity through the agency? And how can scientists outside of the agency help independent science to inform agency decisions? As the nation enters a new administration, this symposium will explore the current state of Endangered Species Act implement and offer recommendations for enhancing the role of independent science in species listing decisions.