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	About the HCP Program
	Examples
	No Surprises
	The HCP Handbook
	Species Statistics

Private landowners, corporations, State or local governments, Tribes or other non-Federal landowners who are interested in conducting activities that might incidentally harm (or "take") endangered or threatened wildlife on their land are required to obtain an incidental take permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to provide protection from violating the Endangered Species Act.

To obtain a permit, the applicant needs to develop a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP), designed to offset any harmful effects the proposed activity might have on the species. The HCP process allows development to proceed consistent with conserving listed species. The “No Surprises” regulation provides assurances to landowners participating in HCP efforts.

What Next?

Landowners can contact their local Fish and Wildlife Service office to determine whether a contemplated activity is likely to require an incidental take permit and to begin the application process. The Frequently Asked Questions and HCP Handbook contain more details.

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• Habitat Conservation Plans [PDF]— Working Together for Endangered Species
• HCP Overview [PDF]— an article published in the November- December 1999 Endangered Species Bulletin.
• The Changing Face of HCPs [PDF] — published in the July-August 2000 Endangered Species Bulletin
• Habitat Conservation Plans and the Incidental Take Permitting Process [PDF]
• Response to the AIBS/NCEAS report,“Using Science in Habitat Conservation Plans”
• General and HCP Related Endangered Species Policies and Regulations
• Application of Section 7(d) to the Habitat Conservation Planning Process

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• The July-August 2000 issue of the Endangered Species Bulletin features several short articles detailing HCPs throughout the United States.[2005]

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• Our "No Surprises" Rule— as it appeared in the Federal Register
• “No Surprises” Questions and Answers
• Endangered Species Act Incidental Take Permit Revocation Regulations describe circumstances in which we may revoke incidental take permits issued under section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered Species Act.
  • June 28, 2004 guidance memo [PDF]
  • June 10, 2004 memo [PDF]

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• Habitat Conservation Planning Handbook
• Addendum to the HCP Handbook (5 Point Policy Initiative). View the Federal Register Notice [PDF]. (The Federal Register is available online at the Government Printing Office website).
• Addendum to the HCP Handbook, Executive Summary [PDF]
• Addendum Questions and Answers [PDF]

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• HCPs by the Numbers (How many? How big? How many species protected?) — part of the Environmental Conservation Online System (ECOS).
• Species Listed as Endangered or Threatened
• Proposed Species
• Candidate Species

See our Species Information page for details on numbers of endangered, threatened, candidate, and proposed species, or for lists of these species by state or taxonomic group.

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