Mississippi Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Act Glossary: Key Terms & Definitions for Developers and Consultants
Mississippi Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Act Key Terms & Definitions
Amphibian: Any of various cold-blooded, smooth-skinned vertebrates of the class Amphibia, such as a frog or salamander, that typically hatch as aquatic larvae with gills and metamorphose into adults with air-breathing lungs.
Applicant: A person or entity who submits an application for a permit, license, or other form of authorization required by the Mississippi Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Act.
Candidate Species: A species for which the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has sufficient information on their biological status and threats to propose them as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act, but for which development of a proposed listing regulation is precluded by other higher priority listing activities.
Conservation: The use of all methods and procedures which are necessary to bring any endangered or threatened species to the point at which the measures provided pursuant to the Mississippi Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Act are no longer necessary.
Critical Habitat: Specific geographic areas, whether occupied by listed species or not, that are determined to be essential for the conservation and management of listed species, and that have been formally described in the Federal Register.
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 Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks.
Endangered Species Act (ESA): The federal law that provides for the conservation of endangered and threatened species of fish, wildlife, and plants, and the habitats in which they are found. The ESA is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service.
Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP): A planning document that is a mandatory component of an incidental take permit application under the Endangered Species Act.
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 entity undertaking an otherwise lawful project that might result in the take of an endangered or threatened species. Application for an incidental take permit is subject to certain requirements, including preparation by the permit applicant of a conservation plan.
Listed Species: A species, subspecies, or distinct population segment that has been added to the Federal list of endangered and threatened wildlife and plants.
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU): A formal agreement between two or more parties that outlines the terms of a cooperative arrangement, such as between a state and federal agency regarding the implementation of a regulatory program.
Mitigation: Actions taken to offset or compensate for the negative impacts of a project on the environment, such as restoration of degraded habitat or creation of new habitat.
Nongame Wildlife: Any wild mammal, bird, amphibian, reptile, fish, mollusk, crustacean, or other wild animal not otherwise legally classified by statute or regulation of Mississippi as a game animal.
Permit: A document issued by a regulatory agency that authorizes a specific activity, such as the take of an endangered species, subject to certain conditions and requirements.
Prohibited Acts: Actions that are prohibited under the Mississippi Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Act, such as the taking, possession, transportation, exportation, processing, sale or offer for sale, or shipment of endangered species.
Qualified Biologist: A person with a combination of academic training and professional experience in the biological sciences, sufficient to meet the regulatory agency's standards for conducting surveys, assessing habitat quality, and developing and implementing mitigation measures for protected species.
Recovery: The process by which the decline of an endangered or threatened species is arrested or reversed, and threats to its survival are neutralized, so that its long-term survival in nature can be ensured.
Reptile: Any of various cold-blooded, usually egg-laying vertebrates of the class Reptilia, such as a snake, lizard, crocodile, turtle, or dinosaur, often covered with scales or bony plates.
Section 7 Consultation: The process under the Endangered Species Act through which federal agencies consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or 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 critical habitat.
Species: Includes any subspecies of fish or wildlife or plants, and any distinct population segment of any species of vertebrate fish or wildlife which interbreeds when mature.
Species of Concern: An informal term referring to a species that might be in need of conservation action, but is not listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act.
State Endangered Species: Any species of wildlife or plant which is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range in Mississippi, as determined by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks.
Take: To harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct, with respect to any endangered or threatened species.
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 Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks.
Wildlife: Any member of the animal kingdom, including without limitation any mammal, fish, bird, amphibian, reptile, mollusk, crustacean, arthropod or other invertebrate, and includes any part, product, egg, or offspring thereof, or the dead body or parts thereof.
A Note to Our Readers: We hope this guide is a valuable resource in helping you better understand the . However, it's not a substitute for professional advice and doesn't cover every scenario. Always consult with regulatory bodies and professionals for the most current advice and project-specific guidance.