Multi-Species
Conservation Plan
Pima County’s Multi-species Conservation Plan: Public Draft
Update: April 2, 2013
Pima County’s public draft of the Multi-species Conservation Plan (MSCP; and appendices) and associated Environmental Impact Statement was posted to the Federal Register on December 7th and Public comments were open until March 15, 2013. The formal comment period is now closed.
Pima County’s MSCP is the part of the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan that deals with endangered species compliance. Under the Endangered Species Act it is normally illegal to take (harm, harass, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect) threatened and endangered species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) may issue permits to take federally listed species provided the taking is incidental to an otherwise lawful activity. Issuing such an incidental take permit to a nonfederal entity, such as Pima County, requires the development of—and commitment to—a habitat conservation plan that minimizes and mitigates the effects of incidental take on federally listed species. The MSCP is Pima County's habitat conservation plan.
Throughout the development of the MSCP, the County has sought input from scientists, affected constituents, and the general public; the current plan reflects many of those comments. The comment period that just ended was a chance for the Service to receive comments from all parties who are interested and/or affected by this plan.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please email the Pima County Office of Sustainability and Conservation at: MSCP@pima.gov or call (520) 724-6460.
Pima County will periodically update this website as more information becomes available.
Additional information about the MSCP can be found in the following documents:
- Summary of the MSCP: an 18-page overview document
- Frequently Asked Questions about the Pima County MSCP
Board of Supervisor Memos
- MSCP Public Draft Memorandum 1
- Avoidance and Minimization Measure by Public Works Departments
- Tribal Notifications
- Critical Habitat for the Jaguar
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service comments on the public draft MSCP, July 2012
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