The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has finally approved Thurston County's long-awaited plan to manage federally protected species, including the Mazama pocket gopher.
As a result, the county has been issued a 30-year Incidental Take Permit that will allow it to implement its Habitat Conservation Plan by 2023. The plan should make it easier for developers to get permits for projects on land that is home to creatures protected by the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
In a Tuesday news release, Thurston County Commissioner and Board Chair Carolina Mejia said the plan is more than a regulatory milestone.
"The HCP is a community achievement," Mejia said. "Building homes, schools and roads under the ESA rules will now be more affordable, and county conservation efforts will be better. I'm thankful for our federal and county staff, community members and elected officials working together on this extremely complex topic."
The USFWS signed off on its decision on July 1, nearly two months after it published a final environmental impact statement.
In the news release, Brad Thompson, state supervisor for the USFWS Washington State Field Office, said federal Fish and Wildlife staff are thrilled to reach this point in their collaboration with Thurston County.
"Years of hard work have gone into the development of this plan and we're looking forward to this new chapter in our partnership, one that both protects imperiled species and supports economic growth in the county," Thompson said.
County staff started preparing the HCP in 2014 after several species in Thurston County were listed as endangered. In addition to the Mazama pocket gopher, the list includes the Oregon spotted frog, Taylor's checkerspot butterfly and the Oregon vesper sparrow.
The ESA requires developers get federal approval prior to starting on projects that could be habitat for threatened and endangered species.
With the county's HCP, developers will no longer need to get separate federal and county permits because the county will be able to issue all the necessary permits.
The HCP also proposes the creation of a network of large, connected, professionally managed habitat sites. This should help protect affected species and support their recovery in accordance with the ESA.
To implement the plan, the county still has to acquire enough land for mitigation purposes and change its codes and ordinances. The news release says much of this work is already in progress and should be finalized by the end of the year.
