The U.S. Endangered Species Act authorizes the creation of Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs). They allow the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reduce conflicts between listed species and private development through a framework that benefits threatened and endangered wildlife by encouraging "creative partnerships" among conservationists, landowners, government agencies, and other interested parties. Developed through a public process, HCPs are legally binding.

Read more....www.fws.gov/endangered/HCP and www.fws.gov/filedownloads/ftp_verobeach/Habitat Conservation Planning/

A multi-species Habitat Conservation Plan is being pursued for land covered by Collier County's Rural Lands Stewardship Area (RLSA).

Documents pertaining to this HCP are posted below. New documents will be posted as soon as received.

August 5, 2010: Letter from Audubon, Defenders of Widlife
and Florida Federation to Secretary Kennth Slazar
U.S. Department of the Interior
dated August 5, 2010

July 30, 2010: Fish And Wilflife Receipt of IPT Application

June 3, 2010: Eastern Collier Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan Summary

February 17, 2009: Town of Big Cypress to Participate in New Habitat Conservation Plan

Letter from Cynthia Dohner, Regional Director Fish and Wildlife Service
to Manley Fuller dated December 1, 2009

Letter from Audubon, Defenders of Wildlife, and Florida Wildlife Federation to Secretary Kenneth Salazar, U.S. Department of the Interior, dated November 6, 2009

Letter from Mark Schult, Environmental Analyst,
Florida Department of Transportation
to Tom Jones dated September 1, 2009

Letter from Audubon, Defenders of Wildlife, and Florida Wildlife Federation to Secretary Kenneth Salazar, U.S. Department of the Interior, dated May 7, 2009

Letter from the Everglades Coalition to Secretary Kenneth Salazar, U.S. Department of the Interior, dated May 6, 2009

Letter from Tom Jones to Paul Souza, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, dated May 20, 2009