Type: report

Article abstract: Purpose The Habitat Management Plan for Natural Communities in the City of Carlsbad (Carlsbad HMP, "the Plan") proposes a comprehensive, citywide, program to identify how the City, in cooperation with federal and state wildlife agencies, can preserve the diversity of habitat and protect sensitive biological resources within the City while allowing for additional development consistent with the City's General Plan and its Growth Management Plan. In so doing, the Plan is intended to lead to citywide permits and authorization for the incidental take of sensitive species in conjunction with private development projects, public projects, and other activities, which are consistent with the Plan. These permits would be issued under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, the California Endangered Species Act, the California Natural Community Conservation Planning Act. The Plan also is designed to serve the following additional functions: 1. Preserve wildlife and habitats as part of the City's permanent open space system and thereby be a component of the Open Space and Conservation Element of the City's General Plan; 2. Allow the City to construct public facility and infrastructure projects dictated by the City's Growth Management Plan; 3. Define the City's contribution to regional efforts to conserve coastal sage scrub (CSS) habitat and species under California's Natural Community Conservation Planning (NCCP) program. The Plan constitutes an Ongoing Multi-Species Plan (OMSP) that is consistent with NCCP guidelines; 4. Allow projects in the City to fulfill their federal and state Endangered Species Act (ESA) requirements for certain species through compliance with the HMP; 5. Constitute a habitat conservation plan (HCP), as described in Section lO(a)(l)B of the Endangered Species Act and Section 2835 of the California Endangered Species Act related to the NCCP Program, submitted with the City's application to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) for authorization to take certain listed species; and 6. Constitute Carlsbad's Subarea plan within the North County Multiple Habitat Conservation Plan (MHCP). Formal approval and adoption of the Plan will occur through issuance of Section lO(a) Permit and approval and execution of an Implementing Agreement between the City, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the California Department of Fish and Game. Priv