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Montana DNRC Forested State Trust Lands
Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP)
HCP Benefits
Upholds Mission of TLMD
Our goal is to manage the State of Montana's trust land resources to produce revenue for the trust beneficiaries while considering environmental factors and protecting the future income-generating capacity of the land.
With an HCP in place, DNRC can better produce revenues for trust beneficiaries while protecting the future of trust lands and making a valuable contribution to species conservation.
ESA Compliance
The HCP clearly defines the role of DNRC's forest management program in species conservation under the ESA and provides DNRC with increased program credibility through approval of the DNRC forest management practices by the USFWS, the regulatory agency that administers the ESA. By planning for long-term conservation of listed and unlisted species, DNRC will contribute to recovery, help prevent future listings, and strengthen the compatibility of species conservation and trust land management.
Increased Flexibility in Management
The ESA prohibits all Federal, State and non-government entities from "taking" listed species and their habitats. Because listed species occur on forested state trust lands, DNRC forest managers must consider the habitat needs of listed species when timber sales are planned. Depending on the habitat requirements of the particular species and the biological condition of the forest stands to be managed, accommodating listed species can impact timber sale volumes and trust revenues. The HCP will likely create opportunities that expand DNRC's ability to manage forested state trust lands. Adaptive management will also be incorporated into the plan to accommodate shifts in the landscape, wildlife population, demographics and science.
Long Term Assurances
Having an HCP in place will increase DNRC’s assurances that management practices can be sustained over time, independent of others' activities or changing land use patterns.
Land Acquisition
Having an HCP qualifies the State for HCP Land Acquisition Grants through Section 6 of the ESA. These funds could be used to acquire lands with high conservation value to be added to state ownership.
Access Acquisition
An HCP will facilitate the acquisition of access to state lands across federal ownership when the nexus of the ESA is invoked. Federal agencies are required to comply with Section 7 of the ESA when granting easements and temporary road use permits to DNRC. With an HCP in place, the Section 7 process will likely be streamlined, since impacts to listed species from DNRC forest management activities will have been addressed programmatically in the biological opinion associated with the HCP.
Additional Benefits
Through the HCP, DNRC will conserve listed species while maintaining flexibility within their forest management program to generate revenues for the trust beneficiaries.
Under the HCP, the grizzly bear security core in the Stillwater State Forest (49,000 acres) would be more accessible to forest management activities, which would help generate additional revenues for the trust beneficiaries.
The HCP includes an adaptive management program, which allows both parties to propose changes to the conservation strategies. Adaptive management allows incorporation of new science and realignment of limited implementation resources in order to best meet the needs of the covered species.
