What is a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP)?
An HCP is a long-term conservation plan established under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. An approved HCP allows a private landowner to incidentally take listed species, provided adequate conservation measures are enacted that allow for the long term survival and recovery of the species. Congress intended the HCP process to reduce conflicts between listed species protection and economic development activities.
A Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) is an endangered species management plan, developed under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). The main objective of a HCP is to assure the survival and recovery of the species of concern in the wild, while allowing the incidental taking of a species by an otherwise lawful and legitimate activity. A HCP can be developed and implemented by any non-Federal entity. It must be reviewed, approved, and accompanied by a permit issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (see Section 10(a)1(B) of the ESA). A HCP must, among other things, minimize and mitigate the taking of a federally listed endangered species.
The Endangered Species Act (ESA) allows non-federal landowners to write a plan called a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) that essentially gives the landowner permission to destroy threatened and endangered fish and wildlife species and habitat in the course of lawful economic activities. Roughly 400 HCPs covering millions of acres of habitat have either been approved or are being developed by the Clinton Administration. Many conservationists and scientists have raised serious questions about the potential adverse impacts these plans will have on species recovery. ODF is creating an HCP because it is planning to log marbled murrelet and spotted owl habitat as part of its plan to increase logging on 615,000 acres of the state*s public forests. ODF*s HCP is entitled the Western Oregon State Forest HCP (WOST HCP), and will cover approximately 75 species, including the spotted owl, marbled murrelet, and six species of salmon such as the coho and steelhead on 615,000 acres of state forest lan
An HCP is a document submitted as part of an application for an incidental take permit (ITP) for listed species. HCPs apply to listed and non-listed species, including those that are candidates or have been proposed for listing. Listed species are those protected under the Federal Endangered Species Act and Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 195D-4. Habitat Conservation Plans are voluntary and are a means for non-federal entities -such as private, state, local jurisdictions-to obtain an ITP for actions, projects, or facilities that cause unavoidable “incidental take” of listed or candidate wildlife species. However, when an applicant forgoes the HCP-ITP process they are at risk of enforcement actions for unauthorized incidental take. Congress intended HCPs to provide a mechanism to reduce conflicts between listed species and economic development, provide a framework that encourages cooperation and creative partnerships between the public and private sectors, and integrate land-use activit
A. A Habitat Conservation Plan (under Section 10(a)(2)(A) of the ESA), is a long-term conservation plan established under the ESA. An approved HCP allows a private landowner to incidentally take listed species, provided adequate measures are enacted that allow for long-term survival and recovery of the species. An approved HCP must accompany an application for an Incidental Take Permit. The HCP would ensure that impacts resulting from take are minimized and mitigated to the maximum extent practicable. Landowners managing their lands under an HCP usually provide species conservation while continuing with economic development activities (e.g. timber harvest), with the right to alter some habitat, engage in incidental take, and gain certainty in managing their lands. Q. What is “Take?” A. “Take” is defined in the ESA as any action that would “harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture or collect” any endangered or threatened species. Harm may include significant habitat
Related Questions
- If the City may need to reduce surface water withdrawals due to the upcoming HCP (Habitat Conservation Plan), how can there be enough water to provide UCSCs expansion?
- What is the distinction between the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve and the Washington County Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP)?
- What is a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP)?
