Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs)
Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs) are required planning documents for entities interested in applying for incidental take permits. HCPs fall under the umbrella of the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) that protects threatened and endangered species throughout the nation. When the ESA was enacted in 1973 it had a considerable amount of power that prohibited the harm of any listed species. The only harming of species that was allowed was for research purposes that would further aid conservation efforts. Opposition to the ESA sought to weaken the strength of the ESA through comprises that would allow for economic growth while protecting species. That compromise came in 1982 when when the ESA was amended allowing the "incidental" harming of species if a HCP was put in place.
Contents
HCP Requirements
Under section 10 of the ESA, a HCP must meet six requirements before any ITP can be issued. [1] The six requirements are:
- All take must be incidental
- Impacts will be mitigated and minimized as much as possible
- Adequate funding to address unexpected problems
- Take must not reduce the likelihood of survival and recovery of species
- Applicant must ensure other Federal regulations will also be implemented
- Federal regulators must be certain HCP can and will be implemented
HCP Process
List of all HCPs in the Central Coast Region[2]
- Fort Ord Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP)
- Marina Peninsula Trail and Rehabilitation Project Site
- Seascape Uplands
- Santa Cruz Gardens Unit 12
- Blake Lake
References
Disclaimer
This page may contain student work completed as part of assigned coursework. It may not be accurate. It does not necessary reflect the opinion or policy of CSUMB, its staff, or students.
