For Immediate Release, July 21, 1999
Contact: Steven Courtney, Ph.D.
Washington D.C. - Successful Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs) require that companies heavily invest in obtaining good scientific information, that the scientific work be accompanied by an independent peer review process, and that scientists not make management decisions, Dr. Steven Courtney told a US senate subcommittee in testimony today.
Dr. Courtney, a biologist and vice president of Sustainable Ecosystems Institute, assisted Pacific Lumber Company in developing the HCP for the threatened Marbled Murrelet. He testified before the Senate Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and Drinking Water at a hearing on Habitat Conservation Plans.
"In the Pacific Lumber HCP, we used science to defuse a controversial situation. We coordinated a large scientific program on the threatened Marbled Murrelet. Federal, state, and private scientists cooperated to determine the effects of different management options. Ultimately, the program, was successful, in that it provided clear guidance to decision-makers," Dr. Courtney said.
He cites three elements in the successful HCP:
"Firstly, the program was well funded by the company, which invested heavily in obtaining good scientific information."
"Secondly, the quality of the scientific work was improved by an independent advisory or 'peer review' panel.
"A third important point on the Pacific Lumber HCP was that the scientists were not asked to make management decisions. This separation of roles is key. The use of good science can build trust between parties, precisely to the extent that scientists avoid becoming advocates."
Dr. Courtney pointed out the vital role played by the conservation plans. "Without HCPs there would be few options for management of endangered species on non-federal lands. Rigorous scientific analyses are critical to these plans."
Dr. Courtney cited the process used in arriving at the Pacific Lumber HCP as a sound model for other habitat plans. "By improving the science in their plans, permit applicants will smooth the negotiation process, save time and money, and gain certainty that their plans will be approved."
Sustainable Ecosystems Institute has a staff of 20 scientists, including wildlife biologists, foresters, and marine biologists. The full text of Dr. Courtney's testimony is available on the SEI website.