U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service seeks public comments on rare species conservation plan

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking comments from the public on a draft of their General Conservation Plan (GCP) and environmental assessment for oil and gas activities in Santa Barbara County.

This GCP draft is described as a strategy to promote the long-term conservation of three rare plant and animal species in Santa Barbara County. The species include California tiger salamanders, California red-legged frogs and a shrub called the Lompoc yerba santa.

During this time, the Wildlife Service will work more efficiently and effectively to ensure existing oil and gas operations are in compliance with the Endangered Species Act.

Fish and Wildlife Service will be accepting written comments from March 6 to April 6.

“Through this collaborative approach, the Service will work with oil and gas companies to carry out conservation measures that minimize and offset potential impacts of oil and gas activities in the county on California tiger salamanders and California red-legged frogs, and their habitats, and an endemic rare shrub called Lompoc yerba santa,” said Rachel Henry, habitat conservation plan coordinator with the Service in Ventura.

The GCP plan will allow the Service to take a proactive and strategic approach to promote the recovery of these rare species.

The Service will post a Notice of Availability for the draft GCP and draft environmental assessment in the Federal Register on March 6.

The publication will be open for 30 days for the public to comment (from March 6 to April 6). Information on how to submit comments will also be available on the Federal Register website on March 6.

The Wildlife Service wants to remind the public that working with others is essential to protecting ecosystems that benefit society as a whole.