Habitat Conservation Planning and Incidental Take Permit Processing Handbook

Drawing on over 30 years of experiences, remarkable successes, and valuable lessons learned, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service (together the “Services”) are pleased to share with you this revised Habitat Conservation Planning (HCP) Handbook. The revised Handbook is the culmination of hard work and dedication by Services staff. It reflects our common commitment to actively advance the congressional findings, purpose, and policies of the Endangered Species Act, including providing a means to foster relationships with public and private partners, reduce conflicts between listed species and economic activities, and promote long-term conservation of listed species and the ecosystems on which they depend.

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Close up of a California condor. Its pink featherless head contrasts with its black feathers.
We provide national leadership in the recovery and conservation of our nation's imperiled plant and animal species, working with experts in the scientific community to identify species on the verge of extinction and to build the road to recovery to bring them back. We work with a range of public...
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Endangered and/or Threatened species