Stellar Casitas HCP for Audubon Crested Caracara

WGI developed a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) and obtained Endangered Species Act (ESA) Section 10(a)(1)(B) incidental take permit (ITP) for the potential incidental take of Audubon’s Crested Carara (Polyborus plancus Audubonii). The proposed 27.9-acre project is located near the southeast corner of Malabar Road and St. John’s Heritage Parkway in Palm Bay, Florida, in Brevard County.

Dense vegetation and access restrictions on adjacent private properties obscured observation of potential Carcara nesting habitat offsite; consequently a caracara field survey would likely have been inconclusive, WGI proposed the conservative assumption that a nest may exist within the 1,500-meter buffer zone, and the proposed project site would impact the Caracara foraging habitat. WGI negotiated a mitigation payment with USFWS. This approach was more cost effective and eliminated the need to conduct bi-weekly surveys for months.

Project Highlights:

• An example of a environmental permitting approach that reduced costs and shortened the permitting schedule.

Services Provided:

• Environmental