Proposed Policy Regarding Voluntary Pre-listing Conservation Actions Private Lands Partners Day September 2014

The proposed policy is designed to provide another type of incentive to landowners who might not otherwise be willing to undertake prelisting conservation actions Attempts to reach to landowners who are not motivated by regulatory assurances Why Is it Being Proposed?

The policy will describe one set of circumstances in which the USFWS will credit voluntary pre-listing conservation actions as mitigation in the event the species is ultimately listed under the ESA What Will It Do?

How Will It Work? Landowners, government agencies, and organizations earn credits through taking voluntary conservation actions for an unlisted species Credits may be used to mitigate negative impacts from actions the landowner, agency, or organization takes after a species is listed

How Will It Work? Voluntary conservation actions must be: – Beneficial to a species that is, or may become, a candidate for federal listing; – Undertaken as part of a State or multi-State conservation program for the species; – Voluntary, i.e., not required by any Federal, State, or local law or regulation; and – Initiated before a final listing of the affected species.

How Will It Work? Credits earned must be used for the same species and within the same state where that credit was earned The effects of beneficial and detrimental actions must be quantified by the same standards, criteria, or metrics The crediting and debiting system must result in a net conservation benefit to the species Credits may be transferred to a third party

How Will It Work? States would develop or endorse the conservation plan and crediting system and oversee its implementation FWS will assist States, as needed, in: – Coordinating with State(s) and other federal agencies – Developing conservation actions – Tracking the implementation and maintenance of these actions

How Will It Work? If FWS finds that a voluntary prelisting conservation program is consistent with this policy, it will accept credits generated as mitigation in the event the species is ultimately listed under the ESA

How Does It Differ from a CCAA? Federal agencies can participate Regulatory assurances are not provided Conservation plans, and actions credited, are not required to address all threats to the species, i.e., the conservation standard is different from a CCAA

Comment Period FWS will accept comments on the policy through November 6, 2014 Written comments and information can be submitted electronically at with docket number [FWS-R9-ES ]