SMG has been busy keeping up to date on the latest changes in the regulatory world. Recently I attended a training course at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s National Conservation Training Center focusing on endangered species consultation. The week-long course provided an extensive review of the responsibilities of federal agencies and applicants when seeking approval of any project that might affect threatened or endangered species. It also highlighted how much the endangered species landscape is set to change in the next few years (http://www.fws.gov/endangered/improving_ESA/listing_workplan_FY13-18.html).
I shared the classroom with representatives of the Department of Defense, FEMA, the Office of Surface Mining, FERC, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and private consultants from across the country. This provided useful insightful into how complex issues and regulations affect federal, state and private land development under the Endangered Species Act.
If you are interested in how a listed or potential endangered species might affect your project you can contact me at josiahf@smithmanage.com or see the attached link: Kentucky ESA Listings 2013-2018.