Policy Guide on Endangered Species and Habitat Protection 2人

《Policy Guide on Endangered Species and Habitat Protection 2人》由会员上传分享，免费在线阅读，更多相关内容在学术论文-天天文库。

1、PolicyGuideonEndangeredSpeciesandHabitatProtectionAdoptedbytheChapterDelegateAssemblyApril25,1999RatifiedbytheAPABoardofDirectorsApril26,1999IssuesProtectingnaturalsystemfunctions(e.g.,waterandairpurification,floodattenuation,speciation,andnutrientrecycling)iscriticaltothesupportofhuman,animal

2、andplantpopulations.Asaresult,itiscriticalthateffortsaremadetoincorporatenaturalresourceprotectionatalllevelsofgovernmentinordertoprotectnaturalcommunitiespriortospeciesortheirhabitatsbecomingendangeredorextinct.Thisconceptofnaturalcommunityplanningshouldbeanintegralandrequiredelementoflocalgo

3、vernmentcomprehensiveplans.Aslocalunitsofgovernmentandstateandfederalagenciesvoluntarilyworktoprotecthabitatsusingtheirauthoritiesintheirareasofjurisdiction,thereisreducedneedforaregulatoryapproach.Equallyimportantarereasonableincentivesforprivatelandownerstoparticipateinlandstewardshipthatwou

4、ldnotonlyprotectnaturalcommunitiesfromfurtherdegradationbutrestoreandenhancethesecommunitiesaswell.LegislationsuchasstateorfederalEndangeredSpeciesActs(ESA)playsanimportantrolebutonlywhentheactionsoffederal,state,andlocalgovernmentsaswellasthepublichavenotadequatelyprotectedecosystemfunctions.

5、AnESAshouldbeviewedasa"safetynet"thatprovidesprotectionasalastresort.Since1983,theESAhasestablishedaprocesstoallowthe"incidentaltake"ofalistedanimalspeciesifaHabitatConservationPlan(HCP)ispreparedtoreducetheadverseimpacts.Since1993,thenumberofHCPsapprovedorpendingapprovalhasskyrocketedprimaril

6、yduetotheimplementationofthe"NoSurprises"policyoftheU.S.FishandWildlifeServiceandNationalMarineFisheriesService.Underthe"NoSurprises"policy,theServicesapproveaHCPwitha"nosurprises"caveatwhichensuresthelandownerthatfurtherrestrictionswillnotbeimposedforthedurationoftheplan—sometimes50or100years

7、—evenifthegovernmentdeterminesthattheHCPhasfailedorwasnotbasedonscientificfacts.WhilethenumberofHCPshasincreaseddramatically,seriousconcernshavebeenraisedastowhetherthis"nosurprises"policyadequatelyprotectslistedspecies.Mostpeopleagreet