Thurston County is home to four federally-listed species under the Endangered Species Act. This affects County building permits. A property owner can build where these species live, but first needs a mitigation plan (also called a Habitat Conservation Plan) in order to comply with federal law. The County is voluntarily developing a 30 year mitigation plan to cover its permit applicants, in response to this federal listing.
The HCP describes how covered species will be protected, and defines a reserve network to help ensure the long term survival of the species. This effort is to reduce and streamline the regulatory burden on County property owners, and to provide them with regulatory certainty.
An umbrella HCP would provide:
- Mitigation options for applicants who need them.
- A consistent, year-round environmental-review process.
- A streamlined permitting process.