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The HCP must, among other things, analyze proposed development impacts on scrub jay habitat, and must include mitigation to offset adverse impacts. Mitigation generally entails the conservation and/or restoration of scrub jay habitat in the vicinity of the habitat destroyed, at a ratio in the range of 2 to 4 acres conserved for each acre cleared, depending on the quality and scrub jay -usage of the impacted scrub. HCPs are most effective on a large scale vs. an individual lot basis. That is because a holistic approach to habitat protection is more likely to sustain a species in the long run rather than incremental, fragmented habitat conservation. Moreover, it is cost -prohibitive for an individual lot owner to develop an HCP and mitigate impacts at the ratios noted herein. For those reasons, the Board of County Commissioners, when considering the purchase of multiple scrub lots in Sebastian Highlands Unit 17 in September, 1996, directed staff to work with the FWS to determine if the ±450 Sebastian Highlands scrub lots could be released for development with mitigation consisting of County restoration and management of large tracts of scrub habitat acquired under the County's environmental lands program. On October 17, 1996, staff wrote a letter to the FWS proposing that the County's acquired scrub tracts serve as mitigation for release of the Highlands scrub lots (see attached). On November 12, 1996, FWS staff responded (see attached letter). Generally, the FWS' response indicated that, in addition to scrub tracts acquired by the County, scrub lands owned by the City of Sebastian and the Indian River School Board would also need to be managed and conserved to sufficiently mitigate development of the Sebastian Highlands scrub lots. This past year, county staff has coordinated with the FWS, the City of Sebastian, and the Indian River School Board to determine the City's and the School Board's willingness to work with the County in developing an area -wide HCP, including conservation of scrub jay habitat on City and School Board owned properties. In October, 1997, both the City Council and the School Board considered the matter and conceptually agreed to cooperate with the County on development of an HCP (see attached). ANALYSIS Under federal law, the FWS cannot authorize the destruction of habitat that would adversely affect a federally threatened or endangered species, except as may be allowed through the "incident take"permitting process, which calls for mitigation and development of a Habitat Conservation Plan. If the County is to proceed with its proposal to mitigate development of the Sebastian Highlands scrub lots using public conservation lands, the next step is for the County to develop an HCP and apply for an incidental take permit. Although county staff has a general understanding of scrub jay biology, habitat needs, and the federal permitting process, staff does not have the expertise nor the opportunity to devote the time necessary to develop the HCP. As such, it is stall's position that, if a Sebastian area -wide scrub jay HCP is to be developed, a consultant will need to be hired for the task. Comprehensive Plan Notwithstanding the benefits of an area -wide HCP to the private scrub lot owners in Sebastian Highlands, who have endured development constraints under the Endangered Species Act, development of a habitat conservation plan on an area -wide basis is good planning. As previously mentioned, a holistic approach to habitat protection and management is more productive and sustainable than fragmented habitat protection on a case-by-case basis. In that vein, Conservation Policy 7.9 of the 2020 County Comprehensive Plan, recently approved by the Board, calls for completion of an area -wide scrub jay HCP as described herein. 47 December 9, 1997