AESO and Region 2 completed the processing of a permit application and issued a section 10(a)(1)(B) incidental take permit to the Malpai Borderlands Group (MBG) for the implementation of the Malpai Borderlands Habitat Conservation Plan (MBHCP).  The MBHCP covers a total of 19 species, including 9 listed species and 10 unlisted species.  Incidental take is permited for 18 animal species.  The permit duration is 30 years.  Covered activities include grassland improvement activities (fire management, erosion control, and mechanical brush control); and ranch mangement activities (livestock management, linear ranch facilities, and livestock tank use and maintenance).  The MBG may extend incidental take coverage to third parties (i.e., ranchers within the Malpai Borderlands) through signing of a Certificate of Inclusion, especially related to ranch-management activities.  The permit area consists of approximately 828,000 acres of non-Federal lands in southeastern Cochise County, Arizona, and southwestern Hidalgo County, New Mexico.  It is anticipated that the MBHCP will improve habitat across this landscape for the covered species and contribute towards the recovery of the listed species in the MBHCP.