Habitat Conservation Plan

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/habitat-conservation-plan

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the legal basis (USA)?Section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered Species Act
2. What is the permit duration?Typically ranges from 1 to 30 years, depending on the plan
3. Why do we need Habitat Conservation Plans?Because building homes, roads, and other projects can hurt animals, but we also need to grow our communities. HCPs help balance both.
4. How do Habitat Conservation Plans protect animals?They identify the species that live there, study how the project might affect them, and then create actions like building new habitats or fixing damaged ones.

Incidental Take: The unintentional or secondary killing, harming, or harassing of a listed species during otherwise lawful activities.
Mitigation: Actions taken to reduce or offset the negative impacts of a project on endangered or threatened species and their habitats.
Species Viability: The ability of a species' population to survive and reproduce indefinitely in a given environment.