The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is extending by 45 days the public comment period on proposed a policy that would give landowners credit for voluntary conservation actions for at-risk species.
Under the proposed policy, any landowning entity could obtain credits for efforts that benefit declining species. These conservation credits could later be redeemed to offset or mitigate actions that are detrimental to a species were it to subsequently be listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), or they may be traded or sold to a third party.
This proposed policy is part of an ongoing effort by the Service to make the implementation of the ESA more effective and less burdensome. It follows a series of proposals to carry out the commitments set forth in the Department of the Interior’s “Plan for Retrospective Regulatory Review,” which implements President Obama’s 2011 Executive Order on “Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review.”
The comment period, which was due to close on September 22, will now close at midnight on November 6, 2014.
For comprehensive information on the proposed policy, including the notice submitted to the Federal Register, visit www.fws.gov/endangered/improving_ESA/prelisting-conservation.html.
