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the etowah initiative:
spring 2002
Abstract Patton Dycus, Brandi Kellis, and Libby Ormes. As a result of increased and uncontrolled urban development, the habitat of the threatened and endangered species in the Etowah River Basin is in need of protection. The Etowah watershed supports eight federally protected aquatic species and seven species likely to become candidates for federal protection. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources has recommended the development of a regional habitat conservation plan (HCP) that will potentially allow both urban development and habitat conservation to occur simultaneously. HCPs describe how non-federal landowners will manage their activities to minimize taking the habitat of one or more listed species. Although HCPs can be negotiated by individual private landowners, none currently exist in North Georgia's Etowah basin. A group of individuals at the University of Georgia has procured a federal grant to develop a regional HCP to ensure uniform implementation and enforcement of a viable plan. The plan will need both political and popular backing to succeed. This project will provide the UGA HCP Team ("the Darter Group") an effective argument for developing an HCP and alert it to obstacles and legal challenges that may be encountered. Through a series of internal memoranda, the Darter Group will be armed with information explaining how it can best sell the HCP concept to the various stakeholders in the Etowah basin. Relevant information will be compiled into a powerpoint presentation for use by the Darter Group and others to educate the public on the benefits of a regional HCP for the Etowah watershed.
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