Title
Consider staff recommendation to accept the Springflow Simulation for Initial Preliminary Take Assessment for use in the Incidental Take Permit Amendment Application process with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Body
RECOMMENDED MOTION:
Move the Implementing Committee accept the Springflow Simulation for Initial Preliminary Take Assessment for use in the Incidental Take Permit Amendment Application process with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
SUMMARY:
An initial preliminary take estimate will be performed to establish take assessment methodology and to determine the existing level of take with existing EAHCP springflow protection measures. This preliminary take estimate will set the stage for evaluating potential changes to conservation measures in the next steps of the permit renewal process. Using the 1947 to 1976 historical springflow simulation in the preliminary initial take estimate maintains the existing EAHCP standard of planning for a potential repeat of the Drought of Record. None of the future simulations that incorporate temperature and precipitation projections through 2059 indicate drought conditions affecting long-term (1 to 10 years in duration) springflow as severely as the Drought of Record.
This assessment is part of the Permit Renewal process, which will examine the major components of the EAHCP (e.g., Covered Activities, Covered Species, Conservation Measures) and identify potential changes to the EAHCP and ITP to be considered by the Implementing Committee. Changes identified and reviewed by the Implementing Committee will be carried forward to be included in the process to create the amended EAHCP submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) with the ITP amendment application. For more information about the EAHCP Permit Renewal process, including a detailed Work Plan, refer to eahcprenewal.org.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None.