I wanted to clarify a couple of few things as follow-up to Vicci's email.

First, an HCP (habitat conservation plan) is a requirement for an
application for 'incidental take permits'.  You can read more about them at
http://www.fws.gov/endangered/esa-library/pdf/hcp.pdf.  I see the soundness
of these HCPs as a big factor in the soundness of the decision to be made
by the permit granting agencies.

Second, bird-related job postings (and some not-so-bird related postings)
have been posted here in the past. I see absolutely nothing wrong with
advertising for such a position on a place like Ohio Birds. Why? Besides
precedent, I have read some VERY poorly conducted biological surveys
submitted with these kinds of permit applications -- so bad that, in one
case, the governing bodies reviewing the application made them redo those
surveys (or at least they recognized that they were garbage) and take extra
steps to mitigate environmental impacts.  Importantly, that's because I and
others read through the (long!) permit then went to public hearings and
explained to officials just how bad it was.  I suspect equally shoddy
permits occasionally slip through the cracks from time to time...

I prefer to see skilled, conservation-minded individuals with all the right
expertise being hired to conduct these surveys. If we should do anything
with posts like these, we should be forwarding these to people who can do
those surveys well and making sure they're on everyone's radar -- the
opposite of excluding them.

Good birding,
Paul Hurtado
Columbus, OH

______________________________________________________________________

Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/.

You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS
Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]