Natural Communities and Covered Species. The Parties intend for the Plan to address the impacts of taking that may result from Covered Activities in the Planning Area on natural communities, on covered endangered and threatened species listed under FESA or CESA, and on other Covered Species that are currently unlisted. The purpose of addressing unlisted species will be to provide for the conservation and management of those species, and to help prevent such species from becoming listed as threatened or endangered under FESA or CESA. Addressing unlisted species in the Plan is also intended to avoid the need to develop new and different measures or restrictions to mitigate for impacts should such species become listed in the future because an approved NCCP authorizes the issuance of take permits for such species. It is also the goal to include, at a minimum, measures sufficient to enable USFWS to issue incidental take permits or otherwise authorize take in the event additional species are listed and subject to the “take” prohibition. A preliminary list of natural communities, and the endangered, threatened, candidate, or other species known, or reasonably expected to be found, in those communities, that are intended to be the initial focus of the Plan is attached as Exhibit A. While Exhibit A identifies the species that the Local Agencies and Wildlife Agencies will initially evaluate for inclusion in the Plan, it does not necessarily represent the Plan’s final Covered Species list.
Natural Communities and Covered Species. The Parties intend for the MSHCP/NCCP to mitigate the impacts of taking likely to result from Covered Activities in the Planning Area on natural communities, on certain endangered and threatened species listed under FESA and/or CESA, and on certain other unlisted species. The purpose of including unlisted species will be to provide for the conservation and management of the species and to help ensure that such species do not become listed as threatened or endangered under FESA or CESA. It is the Parties’ goal to include, at a minimum, measures sufficient to enable the USFWS to issue incidental take authorization for certain unlisted species should such species become listed in the future. A preliminary list of natural communities and the endangered, threatened, candidate, or other species known, or reasonably expected to be found in those communities, that are intended to be the initial focus of the MSHCP/NCCP is attached as Exhibit A. Exhibit A identifies the species that the Town and the Wildlife Agencies will initially evaluate for inclusion in the MSHCP/NCCP. Exhibit A does not necessarily represent the final list of species and natural communities that will be the focus of the MSHCP/NCCP or included in incidental take authorizations issued by the Wildlife Agencies.
