This bill amends the Endangered Species Conservation Act to improve the consultation process for permits and approvals concerning endangered or threatened species. It mandates that applicants submit a consultation request to the executive director of the fish and game department, which must include proposed conservation measures and relevant application materials. The executive director is required to acknowledge receipt of the request within 10 days and provide a determination within 60 days. If the executive director does not act within this timeframe, the permit request will be considered compliant if the applicant adheres to the proposed conservation measures.

Additionally, the bill establishes the Threatened and Endangered Species Compensatory Mitigation Fund to support projects benefiting endangered species and their habitats. The executive director can accept payments for unavoidable habitat loss without further approvals and must consult with the commissioner of the department of environmental services regarding fund disbursements. New rules will be created to clarify when mitigation payments are necessary and how they will be calculated. While the bill does not delete any existing legal language, it introduces new provisions to enhance the management of endangered species consultations and funding mechanisms, with an anticipated fiscal impact ranging from $500,000 to $1,000,000 annually.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 212-A:9, 212-A:16