The USFWS's mitigation planning goal is to improve (i.e., a net gain) or, at minimum, to maintain (i.e., no net loss) the current status of affected resources. This document announces the Service's intent to solicit additional input regarding whether to retain or remove net conservation gain as a mitigation planning goal within our mitigation policies (e.g., eagle take permits, wind/solar farm site planning, listing wildlife under the Endangered Species Act, etc.).
The current regulation contains the "net conservation" goal and was promulgated during the Obama administration. In March 2017, the Trump administration revoked Obama's memorandum (that resulted in the Service-wide mitigation policy and its net conservation goal) to better balance conservation strategies and policies with job creation for American families. USFSW is basically proposing to eliminate the net conservation gain goal. Your comments are needed! See the link below for details.U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Requests Public Input on Mitigation Policies
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is requesting public comment on portions of its Mitigation Policy and Endangered Species Act Compensatory Mitigation Policy, specifically on the policies' mitigation planning goals, to help ensure that the policies are consistent, effective, and transparent. These policies provide direction to Service employees on how to develop mitigation recommendations to offset the impacts of development activities on species or their habitats. Based on comments received, the Service will decide whether and how to revise the policies.
View the Federal Register notice (below) for more information and to submit comments. Comments must be received on or before
January 5, 2018.
Mitigation Policies of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Request for Comments
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2017/11/06/2017-23965/mitigation-policies-of-the-us-fish-and-wildlife-service-request-for-comments
