With the Spotted Turtle no longer standing in the way of homebuilders creating new developments (it was de-listed from the Endangered Species list last year), the HBAM is working to keep the momentum going by participating in a Department of Fisheries and Wildlife review of the Endangered Species/Natural Heritage program. Joined by representatives from NAIOP, HBAM members Greg Spier and Curt Young, together with HBAM Legislative Counsel Ben Fierro, Esq., represented the association at a recent meeting with state officials to discuss the real estate development’s concerns about the program.

Among the issues discussed at the meeting were:

• Reducing areas subject to priority habitat mapping
• Limiting frequency of department re-mapping
• Providing grandfathering protection for projects prior to the issuance of an order of conditions by a conservation commission (when the project is subject to wetland review)
• Specifying mapping protocols (providing greater level of predictability for developers)
• Codifying the departments 70/30 open space set aside guideline
• Developing a conservation recovery plan for the Eastern Box Turtle (which is the endangered species that tends to have the most impact on development projects)

Overall, HBAM representatives encouraged by Mary Griffin, commissioner of the Department of Fish and Game to create a process that is more protective of landowner rights and is more predictable and understandable for everyone.