§ 222.3 - Definitions.

These definitions apply only to § 222.22:

Adequately covered means, with respect to species listed pursuant to section 4 of the ESA, that a proposed conservation plan has satisfied the permit issuance criteria under section 10(a)(2)(B) of the ESA for the species covered by the plan and, with respect to unlisted species, that a proposed conservation plan has satisfied the permit issuance criteria under section 10(a)(2)(B) of the ESA that would otherwise apply if the unlisted species covered by the plan were actually listed. For the Services to cover a species under a conservation plan, it must be listed on the section 10(a)(1)(B) permit.

Changed circumstances means changes in circumstances affecting a species or geographic area covered by a conservation plan that can reasonably be anticipated by plan developers and NMFS and that can be planned for (e.g., the listing of new species, or a fire or other natural catastrophic event in areas prone to such events).

Conserved habitat areas means areas explicitly designated for habitat restoration, acquisition, protection, or other conservation purposes under a conservation plan.

Conservation plan means the plan required by section 10(a)(2)(A) of the ESA that an applicant must submit when applying for an incidental take permit. Conservation plans also are known as “habitat conservation plans” or “HCPs.”

Operating conservation program means those conservation management activities which are expressly agreed upon and described in a conservation plan or its Implementing Agreement, if any, and which are to be undertaken for the affected species when implementing an approved conservation plan, including measures to respond to changed circumstances.

Properly implemented conservation plan means any conservation plan, Implementing Agreement and permit whose commitments and provisions have been or are being fully implemented by the permittee.

Unforeseen circumstances means changes in circumstances affecting a species or geographic area covered by a conservation plan that could not reasonably have been anticipated by plan developers and NMFS at the time of the conservation plan's negotiation and development, and that result in a substantial and adverse change in the status of the covered species.