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]