The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced a reopening of the comment period for 30 days on its proposed revised Mitigation Policy, which has guided agency recommendations to address the impacts of land and water development on America’s wildlife and their habitats since 1981.
The revisions will provide a broad and flexible framework to facilitate conservation that addresses the potential negative effects of development, while allowing economic activity to continue.
The revised policy is intended to be a single, umbrella policy under which more detailed Service policies or guidance documents covering specific activities may be issued in the future. It expands the focus of mitigation to address larger-scale stresses that can work in tandem with development to adversely affect wildlife, including factors such as climate change climate change
Climate change includes both global warming driven by human-induced emissions of greenhouse gases and the resulting large-scale shifts in weather patterns. Though there have been previous periods of climatic change, since the mid-20th century humans have had an unprecedented impact on Earth's climate system and caused change on a global scale.
Learn more about climate change and invasive species invasive species
An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars.
Learn more about invasive species .
Comments submitted during the public comment period that began on March 8, 2016, and closed on May 9, 2016, do not need to be resubmitted and will be fully considered.
The reopening notice will publish in the Federal Register on May 12, 2016. Written comments and information concerning this proposal can be submitted by one of the following methods:
- Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments to Docket No. [FWS-HQ-ES-2015-0126]; or
- U. S. mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing, Attn: [FWS-HQ-ES-2015-0126]; Division of Policy, Performance and Management Programs; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 5275 Leesburg Pike - MS: BPHC Falls Church, VA 22041-3808.
Comments must be received on or before June 13, 2016. The Service will post all comments on http://www.regulations.gov. This generally means the agency will post any personal information provided through the process. The Service is not able to accept email or faxes.
The policy will apply to all authorities under which the Service can make mitigation recommendations, including the Service’s authority to protect species listed under the Endangered Species Act, which was excluded from the 1981 policy. It will also establish a goal of achieving a net conservation gain when recommending project mitigation, whenever the situation merits and doing so is allowed by law.
For more information, please visit: http://www.fws.gov/ecological-services/habitat-conservation/cp.html.
