Abstract: Planning efforts in Pima County and Riverside County represent the most advanced state in the evolution of biological conservation planning in the United States. The initial Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs) developed under the Endangered Species Act focused on the resolution of conflicts between the conservation needs of one or a few listed species and the implementation of other ongoing land uses. The work RECON is doing with Pima County on the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan takes biological conservation planning forward to the next logical level, the incorporation of endangered species issues and ecosystem concerns into comprehensive land use planning efforts.
Introduction and Background
Planning efforts and in Pima County and Riverside County represent the most advanced state in the evolution of biological conservation planning in the United States. The development of biological or habitat conservation planning in its current form began in 1982 with the addition of Section 10 to the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This section added provisions to allow for incidental "take" or impacts to federally listed endangered or threatened species, if accompanied by a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) and other assurances. Prior to the addition of Section 10, "take" of endangered species, however minor, was prohibited under Section 9 of the ESA. Section 7 of the ESA provides a consultation process between Federal agencies and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for activities that may affect listed species.
Single Species Planning
The initial HCPs developed under Section 10 focused on the resolution of conflicts between the conservation needs of one or a few listed species and the implementation of other ongoing land uses. In western Riverside County, the listing of the Coachella Valley Fringe-toed Lizard and the Stephens’ Kangaroo Rat led to the development of HCPs for these species to resolve the conflicts between the habitat needs of the species and land development activities in areas overlapping with the species’ habitat. These planning efforts were successful in the sense that they led to approval of Section 10(a) permits and resulted in conservation of habitat for the species and a reduction of the constraints that the occurrence of the species had put on the development process.
Multiple Species/Ecosystem Planning
Although HCPs developed to resolve conflicts resulting from the listing of single species were generally successful, the participants on all sides of the issue recognized the need to deal with the next species in line. Both the time and the cost of developing regional scale or project specific HCPs is substantial. The prospect of going through the process for a seemingly never-ending list of species was unpalatable to all concerned. Although the biological community argued from the beginning that an ecosystem-based approach was necessary (with support in the record of legislative intent and background of the ESA), the ESA only provides legal mechanisms to deal with individual species.
The approach adopted in Clark County, Nevada, is an example of ecosystem-based conservation utilizing single species tools. This approach, in part, was facilitated by USFWS policies for the HCP process promulgated in the late 1990s dealing with: coverage of unlisted species; "no surprises" for participants, and "unforeseen circumstances". The Clark County Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP) was the outgrowth of a single species plan for the Mojave Desert Tortoise (the Desert Conservation Plan or DCP). Building on the DCP, the MSHCP provides a triptych of conservation measures: by species, by ecosystem, and by land manager.
Integration of Biological Conservation with Comprehensive Planning: The Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan
Planning efforts underway in Pima County, Arizona, and Riverside County, California, are taking biological conservation planning forward to the next logical level, the incorporation of endangered species issues and ecosystem concerns into comprehensive land use planning.
Pima County’s Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan (SDCP) provides the framework for ESA compliance for listed species and other vulnerable species. But the SDCP goes further by establishing goals and objectives for the conservation of the entire range of biological resources present in the County: vulnerable species; rare biological communities and elements; and landscape scale features. The SDCP integrates these goals and objectives with planning for cultural resources, ranching, parks and open space, and balances them with the land use and infrastructure needs of the rapidly growing greater Tucson communities.
In Pima County ranch lands serve as a primary determinant of the definable urban boundary of Tucson, along with the surrounding mountainous terrain. Current development pressures threaten with urban encroachment as ranch lands along the urban fringe are subdivided and developed at a growing rate. Ranching can serve as a private sector catalyst for protection of biologically rich open space- that is, conservation achieved through economically viable sustained use. Ranching concerns and interests are being factoring into the reserve design process in ways that are mutually beneficial to our vulnerable species and general ecological health.
Community Involvement
RECON has been meeting with a wide range of community representatives and working groups. Included are the Steering Committee, a cross-jurisdictional committee representing the full spectrum of interests; the Government Working Group, representing all federal, state, and local government stakeholders and land managers; the Ranch Technical Advisory Team, a collaboration of ranchers and range management scientists; and the Science Technical Advisory Team. The Science Technical Advisory Team includes nine appointed members- all leading biologists and natural resource planners. They serve not only as the sounding board and review committee, but are also a valuable resource and information base, representing a tremendous commitment of time, expertise and collective wisdom of our Sonoran desert plants and wildlife.
Adaptive Land Management
A system of conservation lands cannot be maintained or improved without an implementation structure. An Adaptive Management Plan (AMP) is one of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requirements for the HCP once the reserve system is delineated. RECON is developing the AMP with input from all land reserve managers. The management of Pima County’s future conservation lands will be an iterative process, such that we continue to build a better reserve and protect vulnerable species based upon new information as it becomes available.
Conclusion
The conservation planning process and the Pima County Comprehensive Planning process are concurrent, and will result in a range of alternatives that will be evaluated by the NEPA EIS process. This is not a "growth debate". By establishing and protecting a conservation reserve system, the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan thereby determines areas where growth can and should occur in the most efficient and cost-effective urban form while protecting natural and cultural resources for the future of the community.
Author and Copyright Information
Copyright 2001 by Authors
PAUL FROMER
RECON Environmental, Inc.
1927 Fifth Avenue, Suite 200
San Diego, California 92101
(619) 399-1927
pfromer@recon-us.com
Paul Fromer is a principal at RECON Environmental, Inc. in San Diego, California. He is a Conservation Biologist and Planner and has directed the development of regional habitat conservation plans under the Endangered Species Act for local governments and private landowners throughout the southwestern U.S. since 1986, including the Least Bell’s Vireo in Southern California; the Stephens’ Kangaroo Rat in Riverside County, California; the Northern Spotted Owl in Northern California; the Desert Tortoise and Multiple Species in Clark County, Nevada, and Multiple Species in Austin, Texas. He is currently working as Project Manager on the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan in Pima County, Arizona and the Edwards Aquifer Authority HCP in five counties in Texas. He has also directed the preparation of environmental impact documents for these programs under the National Environmental Policy Act.
Mr. Fromer written and lectured extensively on the process of habitat conservation planning under the Endangered Species Act. He is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and has participated in endangered species Working Groups for Stephen’s Kangaroo Rat and Least Bell’s Vireo.
He earned his M.S in Biology in 1974 from San Diego State University and his B.A. in Zoology in 1971 from the University of California at Los Angeles. He holds USFWS endangered species permits for a number of listed species.
LORI JONES WOODS
RECON Consultants, Inc.
1745 East River Road, Suite 101A
Tucson, Arizona 85718
ljw@recon-us.com
Lori Woods is an Environmental Planner from Tucson, Arizona. She became licensed as a Landscape Architect in Arizona and California after graduating from the University of Arizona’s School of Renewable Natural Resources. Previously a Senior Planner for the Pima County Planning Department, she has headed the RECON office in Tucson for over 11 years.
Ms. Woods is currently serving as assistant Project Manager on the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan and as local liaison for the County staff, natural resource managers and biological experts. Additionally she researches and prepares various study resource documents for the project and coordinates RECON’s work effort with that of various working groups of the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan.
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