Small Business Environmental Roundtable, Dec 12, 2017

TO: Interested Persons

FROM: Prianka Sharma, Assistant Chief Counsel

SUBJECT: Teleconference to discuss Fish and Wildlife Service’s Request for Comments on Mitigation Policy

The U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy will be hosting a teleconference to discuss the following topic at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, December 12, 2017. Teleconference participation details will be provided upon receipt of RSVP. RSVPs should be sent to Prianka.Sharma@sba.gov. Parties interested in presenting oral comments during the teleconference should indicate this in their RSVP. Each participant will initially be granted three minutes to speak. Additional time may be allotted based on availability and number of participants.

Agenda

10-10:30 a.m.: Introduction and Background on Current Department of Interior Mitigation Policies

Benjamin Thatcher, Chief, Branch of Environmental Review

Jason Miller, Biologist, Branch of Environmental Review

Christy Johnson-Hughes, Biologist, Branch of Environmental Review

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of the Interior

10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.: Input from Interested Small Entity Stakeholders

Roundtable meetings are open to all interested persons, with the exception of the press, in order to facilitate open and frank discussion about the impacts of Federal regulatory activities on small entities. Agendas and presentations are available to all, including the press. Anyone who wants to receive roundtable agendas or presentations, or to be included in the distribution list, should forward such requests to prianka.sharma@sba.gov. The purpose of these Roundtable meetings is to exchange opinions, facts and information and to obtain the attendees’ individual views and opinions regarding small business concerns. The meetings are not intended to achieve or communicate any consensus positions of the attendees.

Small Business Environmental Roundtable

Issue for Discussion

December 12, 2017

Request for Comments on FWS’ Mitigation Policies

On November 6, 2017, the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) at the U.S. Department of the Interior published a request for comment on existing Mitigation Policy and Endangered Species Act Compensatory Mitigation Policy.

The Service is specifically requesting comments on whether to retain or remove net conservation gain as a planning goal within mitigation policies.

The Mitigation Policy was developed in 2016 and directed Agencies to set a net-benefit goal, or a no-net loss goal for natural resources. In March, 2017, an Interior Department directive asked the bureaus to reexamine mitigation policies and practices. This request for information will help Interior in determining whether to revise the policies.

Interior has established public dockets for the Mitigation Policy and Endangered Species Act Compensatory Mitigation Policy to collect information to inform the Agency’s decisions as to whether and how to revise these policies. The deadline to submit information and public comments is January 5, 2017.