11/16/1999 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

BOOK ii FAGE3,59 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 "incidental take"permitting process, which calls for mitigation and development of a HCP. 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. 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 calls for completion of an area -wide scrub jay HCP as described herein. Funding The proposed I -CP directly relates to the management of a number of properties acquired by the County under the environmental lands program: the North Sebastian Conservation Area, the Wabasso Scrub Conservation Area, and the Sebastian Highlands Conservation Area (34 scrub lots). When the County acquired the referenced properties with cost -share funds from the Florida Communities Trust (FCT), the County obligated itself to manage scrub habitat on the properties in coordination with the FWS as part of an overall HCP. Because of the direct relationship of the proposed HCP and the management of acquired environmental lands in fulfillment of cost -share grant agreements, environmental land bond monies can be used to fiord initial management costs tied to the HCP. Staff recommends that the Board of County Commissioners approve the Sebastian Area -Wide Scrub -Jay Habitat Conservation Plan, and authorize staff to transmit it to the FWS in conjunction with an Incidental Take Permit application. • Sebastian Area -Wide Scrub -Jay Habitat Conservation Plan (available for in-house review in the County Commission Office and also in the County Environmental Planning Section Office). Chief of Environmental Planning Roland DeBlois gave a brief presentation of the Sebastian Area -Wide Scrub Jay Habitat Conservation Plan which has been prepared by Smith Environmental Services. The concept of the Plan is to mitigate for the development of 317 lots in Sebastian Highlands which will be offset by a commitment to preserve the scrub on a County environmental lands program. The Sebastian City Council has endorsed NOVEMBER 16, 1999 -108