Tom Tew’s Post

Brownfields provide critical habitats for rare species like the Shrill Carder Bee (Bombus sylvarum) and Distinguished Jumping Spider (Attulus distinguendus), yet they are increasingly being lost to development. Rather than creating new habitat with imported resources, preserving and incorporating these habitats and the diversity-rich spontaneous plant communities associated with them into landscape design, promotes resilience to environmental change, reduces carbon emissions, and offers a more cost-effective solution. Buglife urges the Government to prioritize wildlife-rich sites in planning—whether brownfield or greenfield—strengthen protections for brownfields and Important Invertebrate Areas, and improve ecological expertise and surveys in local planning. Read the full Parliamentary briefing for more info. #Biodiversity #Brownfields #Conservation #Invertebrates

Today, we announced a draft plan to strengthen greater sage-grouse conservation and management on public lands. ✅ Greater sage-grouse rely on sagebrush lands for all aspects of their life cycle. ✅ A local population may need up to 40 square miles of intact landscape to stay healthy. ✅ Populations once in the millions now number fewer than 800,000. As we work to grow the number of greater sage-grouse, we must respond quickly and decisively with our partners to protect and restore sagebrush habitat, which is critical for sage-grouse and other iconic species like mule deer, pronghorn and the pygmy rabbit. Learn more about the draft plan ➡️ https://ow.ly/St8P50QTbhj. 📸 BLM photo. #Wildlife #SageGrouse #Habitat #Protect #Restoration #PublicLands #YourPublicLands

Today, the Bureau of Land Management announced (and Friday will publish in the Federal Register) the draft EIS for #sagegrouse conservation and management, which analyzes potential amendments to specific sage grouse goals, objectives, and management actions contained in 77 land-use plans in the 10 states with sage grouse habitat. The public comment period will open Friday and extend through June 13. The preferred alternative includes "flexibilities" that will allow exemptions on some measures, particularly #renewableenergy development near sage grouse habitat. The agency's goal is to publish a final EIS and decision on the resource management plan amendments by the fall and a record of decision approving the revised plan by the end of the year. #energytransformation #energytransition #renewables #publiclands #mining #transmissionlines #species #blm

There are several types of bat surveys that may be conducted as part of the planning application process. The specific type of survey required will depend on various factors. These may include the nature of the proposed development, the location, and the presence of suitable bat habitats. https://bit.ly/3tAj6V8

US Fish & Wildlife Service has been busy lately! Updates to Section 7 and 10 of the Endangered Species Act were released in the last two weeks, plus draft consultation guidance for Northern Long-eared Bat and Tricolor Bat. 🦇 HDR Biological and Ecological Science Lead, Mike Mayer, shares his updates below. Reach out if you have questions about the changes and how they affect your renewable energy projects! #renewableenergy #endangeredspecies #bats #solarenergy #windenergy

Bald Eagles: a national emblem of the US and an often overlooked obstacle in the environmental due diligence phase of a project. 🦅 Although these birds were delisted from the Endangered Species List in 2007, they're still protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. Did you know that if your proposed work is within 660 feet of a nest, you'll need to file for a federal permit with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)? This process can take 60-90 days to review and, like most things, approval is not guaranteed. I wasn't involved in the project shown here but I found it interesting that the closest structure is located 660 feet away from a reported eagle's nest. Is it a coincidence or did the developer need to alter their site plan as a result of a nest that couldn't be moved? 🤔 I'd love to hear your experiences - what unique environmental feature (bald eagle or other) have you encountered, and what impact did it have on the project? #environmental #duediligence #realestate #development

USFWS issues final rule on updates to Section 10 of the ESA. The changes are meant to "clarify the use of enhancement of survival permits and incidental take permits; clarify USFWS authority to issue these permits for non-listed species without also including a listed species; simplify the requirements for enhancement of survival permits by combining safe harbor agreements and candidate conservation agreements with assurances into one agreement type; and incorporate portions of USFWS five-point policies for safe harbor agreements, candidate conservation agreements with assurances, and habitat conservation plans into the regulations to reduce uncertainty." Have questions? Let HDR help you navigate the new changes.

Often, people want to know more about the conservation value, site context, and the wildlife that they share their property with, especially before fully committing to the full conservation easement process. Our team of GIS specialists and our knowledgeable biologists are trained to assess the conservation values of your property through both a desktop analysis and an in-person site visit. These tools allow us to not only gain an understanding of the geological and regional context of your property, but also enable our team to create a comprehensive species list and assessment of the features that make your property unique. We love to learn more about what landowners find the most important to them and what they find special about their land, so if you are interested in learning more about a site visit and about the easement process, reach out at info@nalt.org or by phone at: 610-388-3670. For more information, visit our website: https://lnkd.in/eqtDFhEQ #landprotection #landconservation #preservation #conservation #landtrust #NALT #northamericanlandtrust #outdoors #nature #biologicalassessment #siteassessment #mapping #GISservices #conservationcontext

How long will it take to rewild ORKCA? In five years we have already seen exciting results in the reserve from our rewilding efforts. Taking down fences, reducing the pressure of grazing, and allowing the land to recover means our land has more natural vegetation cover, and native species can survive more easily. The time period for fuller restoration will rely on our ability to expand the conservation area and work with local landowners and communities to take up restoration practices. We have a 20 year vision, broken into five year strategic planning, and continue to engage with people within the ORKCA footprint to discuss the benefits of our model and show them the results. #Rewilding #CommunityEngagement #EcologicalRestoration #ORKCA

"Mississippi Trustee Implementation Group Welcomes Public's Project Ideas Posted on May 08, 2024 | Mississippi Restoration Area The Mississippi Trustee Implementation Group is beginning the process of restoration planning for our Restoration Plan 5 and would like your input regarding natural resource restoration project ideas in the Mississippi Restoration Area. We encourage you to review our restoration progress to date on the Mississippi Restoration Area page.  Restoration Types in Restoration Plan 5 may include: Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore Habitats Nutrient Reduction Oysters Sea Turtles Marine Mammals Birds Details about the Restoration Types and Approaches we are considering, including the location of related information in the Trustees’ Programmatic Restoration Plan, are all below. Restoration Plan 5 Types and Approaches As we begin our next planning phase, we would like to get your input on potential project ideas for the following Restoration Types and corresponding Approaches..." #DeepwaterHorizon #Mississippi #restoration #NRDA #plan #projects #portal #input # https://lnkd.in/gkYDiZvZ