Total Anticipated Take Sample Clauses
Total Anticipated Take.
18.3.1 Conservation Strategy The 2020 DSL CCAA’s Conservation Strategy will contribute to the conservation of the DSL by reducing or eliminating threats on Enrolled Property and result in a net conservation benefit to the DSL and its habitat. First, the 2020 DSL CCAA generally requires and incentivizes avoidance of High and Intermediate Suitability Habitat for all Covered Activities with certain exceptions. All New Surface Disturbances will be fully mitigated through the Conservation Action program. Second, habitat degradation and fragmentation, which can be among the principal threats to the DSL in Texas, are reduced by the 2020 DSL CCAA. For example, the 2020 DSL CCAA places an emphasis on avoidance of development in high quality habitat and focuses oil and gas development in areas of degraded habitat (e.g., greater than 13 ▇▇▇▇▇ pads/mi2). This emphasis will reduce the creation of new areas of high-density ▇▇▇▇▇ and, thus, minimize habitat degradation and fragmentation. Third, encouraging avoidance of areas of well densities greater than four and less than 13 well pads/mi2 also should minimize development in areas with the potential to become degraded habitat. Fourth, the CCAA includes a Conservation Strategy calling for well pad removal and reclamation that will reduce well densities in marginal areas of degradation. Moreover, the 2020 DSL CCAA emphasizes the use of Conservation Easements and other protections to create contiguous areas of protected High and Intermediate Suitability DSL Habitat, again reducing the areas of high density and fragmentation of DSL Habitat. Additionally, the 2020 DSL CCAA will fund research to better understand the impacts of well density and roads and to determine whether shinnery oak can be established or reestablished in DSL Habitat. Finally, the Administrator may consider implementing a credit system for the acres of DSL Habitat that may be disturbed by sand mining operations under the 16,560 acre disturbance cap. Under such a system a sand mining Participant would be permitted to sell credits for conservation acres of like DSL Habitat in an Enrolled Property to another enrolled sand mining Participant. Among other things, such a credit system would incentivize enrollment by sand mining operators and provide opportunities for DSL Habitat offsets, including in High Priority Areas. Overall, there are substantial net conservation benefits to the DSL to be achieved through the sand mining industry’s participation in volun...
Total Anticipated Take. Based on these analyses and assumptions, the total estimated surface disturbances over 23 years is reasonably anticipated to be 34,940 acres of DSL Habitat, approximately 48% of which is from sand mining operations. Because the 2020 DSL CCAA provides the opportunity for participation across all relevant sectors, including the sand mining industry, the total estimated surface disturbance is inclusive of all estimated impacts by each sector, regardless of whether or not a particular operation is a Participant. This is not an assumption of 100% participation by operations across all sectors, but rather reflects the establishment of metrics related to New Surface Disturbance of DSL Habitat over the course of this plan’s 23 years by which the effectiveness of Conservation Measures, such as the annual and total caps on New Surface Disturbance by sand mining operations, under the 2020 DSL CCAA can be monitored, including for purposes of Adaptive Management. These estimates also establish the ceiling for any Take that is authorized consistent with the 2020 DSL CCAA. This represents approximately 12% of modeled potential DSL habitat in Texas.6 Finally, these maximum take estimates also are inclusive of take authorized under the TCP, but the permit in connection with 2020 DSL CCAA does not authorize the take of the same acres as enrolled in the TCP. Rather, the take estimate represents an accounting of all New Disturbance in the Covered Area to ensure that performance under the 2020 DSL CCAA does not exceed a biologically acceptable level, which will be based on compliance with the 2020 DSL CCAA and the take levels as described in Section 18.3. Performance of the 2020 DSL CCAA will be deemed to meet a biologically acceptable level if (a) the take, as described in the 2020 DSL CCAA, Section 18.3, is not exceeded and (b) Participants are in material compliance with their CIs. Requirements for monitoring and reporting will be conducted in accordance with the governance and provisions of the 2020 DSL CCAA. The only take authorized pursuant to the 2020 DSL CCAA is for impacted Enrolled Property as reflected in CIs issued under the plan. Table 4. Summary of Anticipated Impact (Take) by Sector. EFFECTS OF THE ACTION ANTICIPATED TAKE (ACRES) Oil and Gas 15,424 Linear Infrastructure 1,355 Local Government, Agriculture and Ranching 834 Sand Mining 16,560 Renewable Energy 767 Total Take from Covered Activities 34,940 6 Sand mining under the 2020 DSL CCAA would affect less than...