Short-term memory holds information for 15 to 25 seconds and stores it according to its meaning rather than just as mere stimulation. However, it is not really true that short-term memory can be retained only for this short amount of time. It has been shown in different studies that it can be held even longer.
Answer: the Act made it illegal to hunt or kill endangered animals for sport. They also made it so that you can't harm the environment that the specific endangered species lives in.