Joint Request Related to Proposed Revisions to Mitigation Policy Apr 20, 2016 Comment Letters Agency: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Subject: Request for 60 day Extension of the Comment Period on Proposed Revisions to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Mitigation Policy (Docket No. FWS-HQ-ES-2015-0126) Other signatories: Family Farm Alliance, National Water Resources Association Letter excerpt: Our members are often directly impacted by the Endangered Species Act (ESA) due to the potential for their projects to impact listed species or their critical habitat. As such, we have a significant interest in the proposed Mitigation Policy. The proposed revisions deviate considerably from the current policy that was developed in 1981 and does not apply to actions under the ESA. Additionally, the proposed Mitigation Policy includes many new concepts and definitions that merit further evaluation. For example, the proposed adoption of a landscape‐scale approach to mitigate adverse impacts represents a significant change from current policy. The changes outlined in this revised policy require a more comprehensive analysis than is possible under a 60‐day framework. For that reason, we requests a 60‐day extension of the public comment period, to Friday, July 8, 2016, for Proposed Revisions to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Mitigation Policy (Docket No. FWS–HQ–ES–2015–0126). Download joint comment letter
