New Research Paper Finds Gaps in ESA Habitat Conservation Plan Program, Identifies Solutions

A new research paper by Defenders of Wildlife’s Center for Conservation Innovation on the Endangered Species Act’s Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) program reveals concerning information gaps inhibiting the complete assessment of the program’s impact and conservation outcomes. The research evaluates the past 30 years of the ESA HCP program.  

“HCPs can be one of the most valuable tools to balance species conservation and development needs on non-federal lands in the United States, but the program has yet to meet its full potential,” said Heather Harl, lead author of the report and conservation policy analyst at Defenders of Wildlife. “We believe the proposed improvements outlined in this paper will enhance conservation outcomes, provide more robust metrics for measuring success and strengthen the program to help it achieve the full potential envisioned by Congress.”

The paper, “Habit conservation plans under the Endangered Species Act: A comprehensive three-decade analysis,” examines over 600 plans across the United States. Using three key factors for analysis — the presence of required documents, the adequacy of monitoring, and the consistency of conservation measures — the paper found that conservation measures outlined in the plans were often inconsistent and required documentation was lacking.

Ongoing loss of personnel, programs and offices at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service may exacerbate the issues identified in the already-underfunded HCP program. Furthermore, the Trump administration’s recent proposal to rescind a regulatory definition of harm — and change its longstanding policy of requiring incidental take permits for habitat destruction that injures or kills members of a protected species — removes a key incentive for developing HCPs.

The paper proposes several improvements to the HCP program, including:

• Develop a greater understanding of the needs and challenges regional and field office staff face when implementing and overseeing HCPs.
• Establish clear benchmarks and standards of guidance for projects to meet ESA requirements.  
• Create a centralized HCP database.  
• Improve record keeping and monitoring and ensuring better public transparency.

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