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Commissioner O ' Bryan also opposed acceptance of the grant . He said that although it <br /> looks good on the surface, there might be unintended consequences , and referenced the County ' s <br /> Manatee Protection Plan as an example of a County initiative that was misinterpreted by the <br /> Regulatory Agencies . In addition, he was concerned that the grant period was for one year, even <br /> though development of the HCP could take longer. <br /> Vice Chairman Wheeler opposed the grant, expressing his disillusionment with State and <br /> Federal Governments creating bureaucracies . <br /> Chairman Solari felt there was nothing indicating that the County would not be just as <br /> environmentally sensitive without the additional layer of bureaucracy that would come with <br /> acceptance of the grant . <br /> Beth Powell, County Conservation Lands Manager, noted that the County would apply <br /> for the Grant in conjunction with St . Lucie County . <br /> Trish Adams , Habitat Conservation Planning Coordinator, USFWS , explained that the <br /> purpose of the grant was to develop a Habitat Conservation Plan for the entire County, such that <br /> development and conservation activities could occur where necessary and appropriate . She <br /> affirmed that the HCP was a good plan that would help developers know beforehand what the <br /> costs and mitigation strategies would be for a particular parcel . <br /> Craig Aubrey, Trust Resources Supervisor, USFWS , spoke to the benefits of having a <br /> Countywide Plan and taking a consolidated , rather than a piecemeal approach, to development <br /> and conservation . He argued that the costs of the County, developers, and landowners would be <br /> reduced by the plan, because the Endangered Species Act still has to be complied with, and it is <br /> less expensive to approach it on a countywide basis . <br /> Commissioner O ' Bryan emphasized the County ' s proactive stance in regards to <br /> conservation and objected to all of the bureaucracy that is imposed by the regulatory agencies . <br /> April 12 , 2011 6 <br />