Final EIS for the Elliott State Research Forest Habitat Conservation Plan

This environmental impact statement (EIS) evaluates the environmental consequences of the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) issuing incidental
take permits (ITPs) associated with the Elliott State Research Forest Habitat Conservation Plan
(HCP), in accordance with section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973, as
amended. The Oregon Department of State Lands (DSL) prepared the HCP in support of its permit
applications. DSL is seeking take authorization from FWS and NMFS for three species: northern
spotted owl, marbled murrelet, and Oregon Coast coho. The permits, if issued, would authorize
take of the covered species that may occur incidental to DSL’s forest management and research
activities on 83,326 acres of forest lands in Douglas and Coos Counties overseen by the State Land
Board. The EIS presents effects of the proposed HCP and three alternatives on geology and soils,
water resources, vegetation, fish and wildlife, air quality, climate change climate change
Climate change includes both global warming driven by human-induced emissions of greenhouse gases and the resulting large-scale shifts in weather patterns. Though there have been previous periods of climatic change, since the mid-20th century humans have had an unprecedented impact on Earth's climate system and caused change on a global scale.

Learn more about climate change , recreation and visual
resources, cultural resources, tribal resources, socioeconomics, and environmental justice. FWS,
as the federal lead agency, prepared this EIS pursuant to the Services’ NEPA requirements under
the Council on Environmental Quality’s regulations (40 CFR 1500–1508, May 2022), as well as
internal agency guidance. FWS and NMFS will make separate decisions on whether to issue an ITP
to the applicant, relying on the criteria for ITPs set forth in ESA and its implementing regulations.