Gazette-Times

Benton County is developing a habitat conservation plan for seven rare and endangered species native to local prairies.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service awarded the county a $575,000 grant to prepare the plan, which will take about three years to complete.

The plan will give the county and private landowners flexibility to meet the legal requirements of the federal Endangered Species Act. It also could set guidelines for reducing and mitigating impacts on endangered species.

"The county's activities, such as road and park maintenance and community development, have the potential to directly affect these species," said Commissioner Jay Dixon. "We want to do what we can to help conserve these species unique to the Willamette Valley, but we also know there will be times when we must affect a given species."

The seven species are two butterflies, the Fender's blue and Taylor's checkerspot; one bird, the streaked horned lark; and four plants, Kincaid's lupine, Nelson's checkermallow, the Willamette daisy and Bradshaw's lomatium.

According to a news release, the county was approached by the federal agency because of its stewardship activities on natural areas.

"Other groups, such as the Greenbelt Land Trust, the Marys River Watershed Council and the Benton Soil and Water Conservation District have a proven track record for helping private landowners protect rare, threatened and endangered species," noted Commissioner Annabelle Jaramillo.

Jerry Davis, project manager of the habitat conservation plan, said several seasons of field work are necessary for creating the document.

"The time frame for conducting that field work is limited to when the plants are in bloom and the butterflies and streaked horned lark are laying their eggs. This activity generally occurs April through July," Davis said.

The Institute for Applied Ecology, a Corvallis nonprofit group, will prepare the conservation plan and conduct species surveys.

The public can comment on the plan at various stages. The first meeting is set for 6 p.m. Jan. 22 in the Benton Plaza basement meeting room, 408 S.W. Monroe Ave.

The county will present the results of field work, the timeframe for completing the plan and how the community can participate.

At a glance

For more information about Benton County's habitat conservation plan for the area's endangered species, or for information on having land surveyed for these species, go online to www.co.benton.or.us/parks/hcp/index.php.