SACRAMENTO, Calif.—The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the Notice of Availability for the proposed Bay Area Habitat Conservation Plan Operations and Maintenance (HCP) prepared by the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). PG&E requested a 30-year incidental take permit and submitted a draft HCP, proposing strategies to avoid, minimize, and offset potential direct, indirect, and cumulative effects of PG&E’s operations, maintenance, and minor new construction activities on 32 species federally listed as threatened or endangered. The proposed activities will be located within an approximately 402,440 acre plan area in portions of California’s Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma Counties.
Habitat conservation plans ensure there is adequate minimizing and mitigating of the effects non-federal activities have on threatened and endangered species, as required under Section 10 of the Endangered Species Act. The Service regularly engages conservation partners, the public, landowners, government agencies, and other stakeholders in our ongoing effort to identify innovative strategies for conserving and recovering species at risk. Habitat conservation plans provide a roadmap for species recovery that is essential to protecting ecosystems that benefit society as a whole.
This announcement opens a 30-day comment period on the draft Notice of Availability and the proposed HCP that will close April 24, 2017. The Federal Register Notice, draft HCP, and draft environmental assessment are available on the Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office webpage.
Before including an address, phone number, or other personal identifying information in comments, the public should be aware that the entire comment—including personal identifying information—might be made publicly available at any time.
For more information about the species proposed for coverage by the HCP visit www.fws.gov/sacramento. Comments can be sent via U.S. Mail or facsimile to:
Mike Thomas
Habitat Conservation Planning Division
Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office 2800 Cottage Way, Room W-2605
Sacramento, California 95825
Fax: 916-414-6713
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information about our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov/Sacramento. Connect with us via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr.
-FWS-
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