Indiana The Indiana Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Act Glossary: Key Terms & Definitions for Developers and Consultants

Indiana The Indiana Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Act Key Terms & Definitions

Cumulative Effects: The incremental environmental impact of an action when added to other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions, regardless of what agency or person undertakes such other actions.

Endangered Species: Any species which is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range, as determined by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the National Marine Fisheries Service.

Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP): A plan that outlines the anticipated effects of a proposed activity on federally listed species, how those impacts will be minimized or mitigated, and how the plan will be funded.

Incidental Take: Take that results from, but is not the purpose of, carrying out an otherwise lawful activity.

Incidental Take Permit: A permit issued under Section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered Species Act to a non-federal party undertaking an otherwise lawful project that might result in the take of an endangered or threatened species.

Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR): The state agency responsible for managing and protecting Indiana's fish and wildlife resources, including enforcing the Indiana Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Act.

Indiana Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Act: A state law that provides for the protection and management of endangered species and nongame wildlife in Indiana.

Listed Species: A species, subspecies, or distinct population segment that has been added to the federal lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants as they appear in sections 17.11 and 17.12 of Title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations (50 CFR 17.11 and 17.12).

Mitigation: Actions taken to avoid, minimize, or compensate for the negative effects of a proposed action on listed species or their habitat.

Nongame Species: Any wild mammal, bird, amphibian, reptile, fish, mollusk, crustacean, or other wild animal not otherwise legally classified by Indiana statute or rule.

Section 7 Consultation: The process under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act through which federal agencies consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the National Marine Fisheries Service to ensure that their actions are not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of listed species or destroy or adversely modify designated critical habitat.

Section 10(a)(1)(B) Permit: See "Incidental Take Permit".

Species of Special Concern: A species that may be listed as threatened or endangered in the future but is not currently listed.

State-listed Species: A species that is listed as endangered, threatened, or of special concern under the Indiana Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Act.

Take: To harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect any threatened or endangered species, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct.

Threatened Species: Any species which is likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range, as determined by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the National Marine Fisheries Service.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS): The federal agency responsible for administering the Endangered Species Act for terrestrial and freshwater species.