The areas shown on critical habitat maps are often large. Are all the areas within the mapped boundaries considered critical habitat?
No. Service rules normally exclude by text developed areas such as buildings, roads, airports, parking lots, piers, and other such facilities. Additionally, projects will only require consultation if they affect areas that contain the primary constituent elements required by the species. Primary constituent elements are those physical and biological features of a landscape in the appropriate quantity and spatial arrangement that a species needs to survive and reproduce.
Related Questions
- Why are large areas shown on critical habitat maps if the entire area is not actually considered critical habitat?
- How did the Service determine what areas should be proposed as critical habitat for the Colorado butterfly plant?
- What if populations of the purple amole are found in the future in areas not designated as critical habitat?
