The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s review of Pima County’s Multi-Species Conservation Plan is a momentous step in the County’s 15-year effort to balance growth and development with protection of native plant and animal species and habitats.

The Fish and Wildlife Service is accepting public comment on the plan and on its own draft Environmental Impact Statement regarding the plan until March 15.

The public is invited to a meeting hosted by the Service on Thursday, Feb. 21, from 4 to 6 p.m., at the Pima County Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation Department conference room, 3500 W. River Road, where the Service will provide information and accept written comments.

The Multi-Species Conservation Plan is essentially Pima County’s application for a permit, under the Endangered Species Act, to “take” (harm, harass, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect) threatened and endangered species, when the taking is incidental to an otherwise lawful activity such as construction. Such a permit requires the development of – and commitment to – a habitat conservation plan that minimizes and mitigates the effects of incidental take on federally listed species.

Pima County has applied for a permit for incidental take of 44 species, including five animal and two plant species currently listed under the Endangered Species Act. The permit would apply to County construction and maintenance activities and to certain private development projects. The Plan minimizes and mitigates the effects of incidental take primarily by monitoring and managing the lands the County has already acquired as open space and habitats for the 44 species included in the permit. Should additional lands be necessary to provide mitigation, the Plan allows for the acquisition of additional open space lands.

Both the draft Multi-Species Conservation Plan and the draft Environmental Impact Statement can be viewed at http://www.pima.gov/cmo/sdcp/MSCP/MSCP.html. If you have any questions or would like more information, please email the Pima County Office of Sustainability and Conservation at MSCP@pima.gov or call (520) 740-6440.

The Service will evaluate all comments made by the public and will publish a final Environmental Impact Statement. Permit issuance from the Service is expected in early 2014 and will require approval by the Pima County Board of Supervisors.

The first of five open houses about Pima County’s Multi-Species Conservation Plan and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s draft assessment of that plan is Monday, Jan. 14, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Nanini Library, 7300 N. Shannon Road.

Pima County residents are encouraged to attend to find out more about the County’s proposed plan to balance protection of native plant and animal species and habitats with growth and development.

The Fish and Wildlife Service is accepting public comment on the Multi-Species Conservation Plan and the Service’s draft Environmental Impact Statement until March 15, 2013. The Service will conduct a public meeting on Thursday, Feb. 21, from 4 to 6 p.m., at the Pima County Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation Department conference room, 3500 W. River Road, to provide information and accept written comments.

The Pima County Office of Sustainability and Conservation is hosting an open house in each supervisorial district to provide information about the benefits of the Multi-Species Conservation Plan and the permit the County is seeking under the Endangered Species Act. The first open house is in District 1.

Additional open houses are planned in:

District 2   Monday, Jan. 28, 5-7 p.m., Abrams Public Health Center, Room 1106-1108, 3950 S. Country Club Road

District 3   Tuesday, Jan. 22, 10 a.m.-noon, Robles Community Center, 16150 W. Ajo Highway

District 4   Thursday, Jan. 24, 4-6 p.m., Kirk-Bear Canyon Library, 8959 E. Tanque Verde Road

District 5   Tuesday, Jan. 29, 4:30-7 p.m., Pima County Housing Center (“El Banco”), 801 W. Congress St.

Under the Endangered Species Act it is normally illegal to “take” (harm, harass, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect) threatened and endangered species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service may issue permits to take federally listed species provided the taking is incidental to an otherwise lawful activity. Issuing such an incidental take permit to Pima County requires the development of – and commitment to – a habitat conservation plan that minimizes and mitigates the effects of incidental take on federally listed species.

Pima County has applied for a permit for incidental take of 44 species, including five animal and two plant species currently listed under the Endangered Species Act. The permit would apply to County construction and maintenance activities and, as presented in the draft Multi-Species Conservation Plan, to certain private development projects. The draft Plan’s primary approach to mitigating the effects of incidental take is to monitor and manage those lands that the County has already acquired as open space to maintain and enhance habitats for the 44 species included in the permit.  In the future, should additional lands be necessary to provide mitigation, the Multi-Species Conservation Plan allows for the acquisition of additional open space lands.

Both the draft Multi-Species Conservation Plan and the draft Environmental Impact Statement can be viewed at http://www.pima.gov/cmo/sdcp/MSCP/MSCP.html.