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H.A. SEBASTIANAREA-WIDE SCRUB JAYHABITAT <br />CONSERVATIONPLAN- SOLICIT F0-ONSULTANT PROPOSALS <br />Environmental Planning & Code Enforceme ;.hief Roland M. DeBlois reviewed <br />in detail a Memorandum of December 2, 1997: <br />TO: James E. Chandler <br />County Administrator <br />DEP TMENT HEAD CONCURRENCE: <br />Robert M. Keating, AICP / <br />Community Development Director <br />67 <br />FROM: Roland M. DeBlois;-�AICP <br />Chief, Environmental Planning <br />DATE: December 2, 1997 <br />SUBJECT: Staff Request for Board Authorization to Solicit Consultant Proposals <br />for Development of a Sebastian Area -Wide Scrub Jay Habitat <br />Conservation Plan (HCP) <br />It is requested that the information herein presented be given formal consideration by the Board of <br />County Commissioners at its regular meeting of December 9, 1997. <br />DESCRIPTION AND CONDITIONS <br />This memorandum is to request that the Board of County Commissioners authorize staff to develop <br />a scope of services and issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for professional services relating to <br />development of a Sebastian area -wide scrub jay Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP). The purpose of <br />the proposed HCP is to obtain an "incidental take" permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service <br />(FWS) to release for development ±450 privately owned platted scrub lots in Sebastian Highlands <br />Subdivision, using publicly owned scrub land for mitigation credit to offset the development impacts <br />of the platted scrub lots. <br />Background <br />The Florida scrub jay (Aphelocoma coerulescenrs) is listed by the federal government as a threatened <br />species. Because of its threatened status, the scrub jay and its habitat are protected under the federal <br />Endangered Species Act, which is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The scrub jay <br />is indigenous to xeric oak scrub habitat; therefore, its survival as a regional population is directly <br />related to the amount of oak scrub habitat undeveloped and conserved in the county. <br />Approximately 450 platted, 1/4 acre lots in the Sebastian Highlands Siabdivision (in Sebastian City <br />limits) have been identified by the FWS as being scrub jay habitat. Consequently, none of those lots <br />can be developed unless an "incidental take" permit is first obtained from the FWS. For someone to <br />obtain an incidental take permit to clear and develop scrub jay habitat, a habitat conservation plan <br />(HCP) must be developed. <br />ELO <br />December 9, 1997 <br />00 <br />` <br />