|
Protect Private Property, Drinking Water & Endangered Fish
You can take action on this alert by reading the information below and following the
directions at the bottom.
The Etowah Aquatic Habitat Conservation Plan is currently being considered for approval by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, but we need your help to support it.
The plan was drafted between 2002 and 2007 by the counties and municipalities of the Etowah River basin and other stakeholders as a means to protect Etowah, Amber and Cherokee darters without compromising the potential of the region to grow and develop. The darters are threatened by declining water quality and habitat fragmentation that accompanies land development, roads and dam projects.
Counties and municipalities that choose to participate in the Etowah Habitat Conservation Plan will adopt a set of six policies for managing urban-related threats such as stormwater runoff, erosion and sedimentation, loss of stream buffers and habitat fragmentation.
In addition to protecting these fish, the plan provides other benefits to communities that adopt it:
● Environmental permitting processes are streamlined, saving developers time and money
● Participating jurisdictions become eligible for federal grants to acquire land for conservation projects
● Drinking water and recreational waters are better protected
● Overall watershed quality from the headwaters to the main river is protected and enhanced
● Private property is better protected from polluted runoff from construction sites and developed land
Implementation of the plan does not require any new fees or taxes to be levied on residents of the area. Enforcement of policies will be funded by an $85 per developed acre fee paid by developers.
The science supporting the listing of these species as endangered and threatened is extensive. In 2008, a panel of 16 national and international fisheries scientists concluded that these species are in imminent peril of becoming extinct. During the past six years, 13 research articles have been published in scientific journals and all point to the same conclusion—these fish are in peril and the HCP will help protect them.
Participation in the plan by local governments is voluntary. As submitted for approval to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the counties of Bartow, Cherokee, Pickens and Paulding and the cities of Ball Ground, Canton, Holly Springs, Waleska, Woodstock, Dallas, Dawsonville, Acworth and Roswell would be covered under the plan. Other jurisdictions could adopt the plan at later dates.
Your message will be sent to each of the following targets:
USFWS Coordinator David Dell
A sample message appears below, which you may edit before sending.
Please Approve the Etowah Habitat Conservation Plan
Dear Mr. Dell:
I am writing in support of the adoption of the Etowah Habitat Conservation Plan. The plan will protecting the federally endangered Etowah and Amber darters and the federally threatened Cherokee darter, which among other migratory fish are a food source for trout in the Etowah headwaters and downstream. The plan will also:
-protect our drinking water and our swimming and fishing holes;
-protect and enhance overall watershed quality from the headwaters to the main river;
-protect private property by keeping mud from construction sites from washing on to our land and into our streams and
-increase the ability of local governments to protect land for conservation purposes.
The Etowah Habitat Conservation Plan is a common sense plan that helps our communities continue to grow while protecting our natural resources. It sets forth a consistent set of rules across our Etowah watershed that streamlines environmental permitting processes for developers thus promoting investment in our communities that will provide jobs and help maintain a strong economy.
The science supporting the plan is clear. In 2008, a panel of 16 national and international fisheries scientists concluded that these species are in imminent peril of becoming extinct. During the past six years, 13 research articles have been published in scientific journals and all point to the same conclusion—these fish are in peril and the Plan will help protect them.
I urge you to approve the Etowah Habitat Conservation Plan.
Sincerely,
Your name and address here
|
This Action Alert Campaign is Closed.
|
