Guadalupe River Habitat Conservation Plan T h e G uadalu p e R ive r is home to 1 8 fed e ra lly list ed e nd a nge red spec ie s, e ig ht fed e ral ly l i st ed threatened s pecie s , nume rous ca nd id at e spec ie s a nd seve ra l spec ie s w i t h p o t e nt i al t o b ecome li sted in the f uture . In July 2 02 1, G BR A b e ga n t h e pro ce ss of c reat in g a co m prehensi ve b a s in-wide cons e r vat io n st rat e g y t o b e ne f i t b o t h list ed a nd no n - l i s t ed sp ec ies. G BR A wil l deve l op a hol is tic G ua d a lupe Rive r Ha b i t at Co nse r vat io n Pl an (G R HC P) an d a ssoci ated incide nta l ta ke pe rmi t (I TP) t h at w ill provid e pro t ect io ns fo r threat e n ed an d e ndangered s pecie s , whil e improving ce r t a int y t o m eet fut ure h um a n need s fo r wat er and wastewate r treatme nt s e r vice s.
W hat is a Hab itat C o n s er vati o n Plan? A n HC P i s the prima r y pl a nning docu m e nt required t o obt ai n an i n ci denta l ta ke pe rmi t ( IT P) und e r Sect io n 1 0(a) (2 )(A ) of the fede ra l Enda nge red Spec ie s Act of 1 97 3 ( ES A ). Thi s s ection of the ESA is int e nd ed t o fo st e r "creati ve p ar tne rs hips b et wee n the pub lic a nd pr ivat e sect ors an d among gove rnme nta l a genc ie s in t h e i nt e rest of sp ecie s a nd ha b i tat cons er vat io n." A no nfederal enti t y ca n ob ta in a n IT P if i t s a ct ivi t ie s cause " t a ke" of an enda nge red or threate ned w ild life spec ie s. A n HC P descri be s how "ta ke" wil l b e m inim ized a nd mi t i gated, an d h ow the HCP is to b e fund ed .
"Take" me ans . . . "to hunt, harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect a species or at tempt to engage in any such conduct."
GR HCP Pro ce ss A s a re g io na l lea d e r, G BR A w ill a pply fo r a 50 -year l o ng inc id e nt a l t a ke pe r m i t (I TP) t h at w ill a l l ow o t h e r ut ili t ie s, la nd ow ne r s, ind ust r ie s, a nd m unic i p al i t i e s to co nt r i b ut e t o co nse r vat io n e f fo r t s a nd rece i ve s eco nd pa r t y t a ke pro t ect io n. Th e b a sin-w i d e G R HC P a n d I TP is a nt ic ipat ed t o fo c us o n co nse r vat i o n of s pec ie s suc h a s t h e w h o o ping c ra ne , sa la m an d e r s ( Eur ycea sp.) a nd fre shwat e r m usse ls, b ut w i l l be n e f i t ot h e r ra re a nd co m m o n spec ie s. Th e b e st avai l abl e s c ie nce w ill b e used t o m a ke po licy d ec isio n s t h at will fo r m t h e fo und at io ns of t h is pro ce ss. T he l o n g te r m pla nning e f fo r t w ill b e ne f i t t h e re g io n by im proving t h e pred ict a b ili t y a nd e f fect ive n e s s of s pec ie s co nse r vat io n m ea sure s, w h ile red u c i n g f u t u re m i t igat io n co st s a nd re gulat o r y unce r t a int y. T he I T P is e st im at ed t o b e issued in June 2 02 6 .
Re b e cca Sp ri ngs Salam a n d e r
G u a d a lu p e Or b
Opp o r t u n it i es to Par ti ci p ate G BR A i s commi t ted to a tra ns pa re nt, pub lic pro ce ss w h e re pa r t ic ipat io n is we l co m ed an d en co uraged. For more information, v isi t t h e Ha b i t at Co nse r vat io n Pla n pa ge at g b ra.org . Comme nts a nd que s tions ca n b e sub m i t t ed at fut ure pub lic m eet ings o r by emai li ng grhcp @ g b ra . org. CLEAN RIVERS PROGRAM
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