The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is proposing a new rule to strengthen voluntary conservation efforts under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
The new rule would revise permitting under Section 10 of the ESA. “These improvements will assist landowners who want to manage their lands and undertake development activities while also implementing conservation efforts for species that need help,” said USFWS Director Martha Williams.
Section 10 permits have been used to encourage candidate conservation agreements with assurances and safe harbor agreements, which are landowner voluntary agreements designed to benefit species. They have also been used to permit the take of listed species incidental to private development activities.
“These revisions do not significantly change the current implementation of the Section 10 program and do not expand the reach of species protections,” USWFS said.
“With some exceptions, the law prohibits taking protected species and their habitats unless authorized by a permit from the Service or the National Marine Fisheries Service.”
