Etowah HCP Press

The Dahlonega Nugget
July 9, 2003

Habitat conservation plan in works for Etowah River
By Sharon Hall

Several counties and cities in the Etowah River basin have been working together for the last eight months to put together a habitat conservation plan for the river and its tributaries.

The goal is not to stop growth, says Kevin Flannigan, Lumpkin County’s representative on the steering committee, but to help local governments manage growth while protecting water quality and the diversity of life in the river.

Although the Etowah is a small river, it is one of the most biologically diverse in the U.S. Its waters support 76 native species of fish, including some that are found nowhere else on earth.

Rapid growth spreading north from Atlanta is threatening the river, and the fish that live in it.

Three of the fish species living in the Etowah are already on the list of threatened or endangered species under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA), and others may be added in the near future.

A recent public opinion survey shows an overwhelming majority of north Georgians care about water quality and aquatic diversity in the Etowah watershed.

The survey, conducted by A.L. Burruss Institute of Public Service at Kennesaw State University, showed 91 percent of those participating in the survey would support restrictions on development in order to protect aquatic life, which is essential to the health of the river.

While placing some restrictions on new construction in protected areas, the regional plan would make some aspects of development easier.

Under the current federal ESA, it is illegal to “take” species — to kill, harm, capture or significantly change or degrade their habitat without going through an expensive and lengthy permitting process.

Developers and local governments who plan projects that would take an endangered species and requires federal funds or permits must consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).

The consultation can last up to 135 days and FWS usually places conditions on the project to minimize take.

Even if no federal funds or permits are required developers can be required to develop individual Habitat Conservation Plans to comply with the ESA. A regional plan, such as the one being worked on, could eliminate much of the cost and delay.

Local governments that sign on to the plan, which would include the adoption of policies and regulations to minimize the effects of development on the endangered habitat of the Etowah basin, would become the permitting agency with the ability to issue “incidental take permits.” This would speed up consultation with FWS and eliminate the need for individual habitat conservation plans.

The policies and regulations would cover issues such as setbacks from streams in the watershed, buffers and stormwater management. These are being developed by a team of scientists, policy analysts and educators from the University of Georgia, Kennesaw State University and Georgia Conservancy, working closely with local governments in the Etowah watershed.

The research is being paid for by an FWS grant.

The process is just in the beginning stages. So far the group has studied other habitat conservation plans from around the country to learn from their successes and failures.

The next step is the creation of a “stakeholders committee” of local officials, citizens and representatives of organizations and agencies to guide development of the plan.

The first stakeholders meeting is planned for Thursday, July 10, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Parks & Rec.

“The biggest challenge will be to get all the different interests — developers, industry, agriculture and individual property owners to recognize the value in regional cooperation. Each one has their own vested interest. But regional continuity is the key.

“What a developer does in Cherokee will apply in Dahlonega, and all over the Etowah watershed,” Flannigan says. “This will be the first regional plan in the state.”