Species of Concern is a term used by a lot of different conservation and regulatory groups in different ways. The lead federal species protection agency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, defines Species of Concern as an informal term that refers to those species which might be in need of concentrated conservation actions.
Transect uses this term similarly: Species of Concern are those species that are in need of some additional action on a project site. The additional action might be a habitat assessment, a presence/absence survey, or a permit.
Because there are federal and state laws that protect sensitive species, and those laws often trigger lengthly permitting timelines, it is important to know as soon as possible if there are any species of concern on your proposed project.
The Endangered Species Act is the primary federal regulation that protects sensitive plant and animal species in the U.S. The Endangered Species Act makes "take" of certain listed species illegal. "Take" is defined as any type of harassment, harm, wounding, or pursuit, as well as killing, capturing, or collecting. The definition of "take" is not limited to purposeful “take” though. “Take” also includes “incidental take," which are those actions that may harm or kill a federally-listed species as part of an otherwise lawful activity. Examples of “incidental take” include disruption of bird nests from tree removal, harm to fish from stormwater runoff, and collision with bats from wind turbines.
Learn more about the Endangered Species Act here >>
For the majority of states, incidental take is only prohibited for federally-protected species. However, many states also have a state regulation that requires a permit for impacts to state-protected species. A sample of the states with their own species permits include Illinois, New York, California, Massachusetts, Maryland, Kansas, Utah, and Vermont (among others).
Additionally, state wildlife agencies often comment on impacts to state-listed species for projects that are funded or sponsored by a state or federal agency. Typically these comments do not lead to additional permitting, but will need to be addressed - thus extending the project timeline if not properly anticipated.
Learn more about State and Local Regulations in Transect here >>
Whether you’re laying new infrastructure, planning out a new commercial development site, or building a new cell tower, identifying species of concern is a key consideration in project budget, timeline, and footprint planning.
Looking for More?
Explore the Bald and Golden Eagle & Migratory Bird Treaty Acts here >>
Vision aggregates our data into species 'hot spots' - giving you landscape level certainty about species of concern for use during project siting and routing.
Once you've picked a site (or few), use Transect Reports to dive in deeper to the data, from broad USFWS ranges all the way down to specific known occurrences. Transect Reports uses species data combined with a site-specific habitat analysis to determine species of concern on your project.
It’s never been easier to identify and avoid protected species issues. Transect is environmental due diligence made easy.
Want to learn more?
Download the Transect Datasheet Here
Under the Endangered Species Act, there are two ways to get a permit from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for project impacts to federally-protected species. The one that your project will use is completely dependent on a very nuancical regulatory mechanism (the presence of a federal nexus or not), but we'll try to make it easy to understand. Below are the two permit options available to any project that is likely to effect federally-protected species:
Get more Endangered Species Act guidance here >>
State species permits vary from state to state. Want to know if your project has species of concern and is subject to a state species permit? Transect can help. Get a species of concern analysis as well as site-specific permits, recommendations, timelines, and next steps for your project - for free!
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