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F RAY E 0 SA F E T Y NET S ....................................................................................................................................................................,...., SECTION TWO Elements of ESA-Related Conservation Planning Conservation planning is an interdisciplinary process that can involve many stakeholders and goals. Here we identify four elements - scientif- ic integrity, meaningful public input, adequate funding and legal enforcement - that are essen- tial for effective conservation planning. Each of these elements is described in detail. Highlights from plans are noted and national trends are dis- cussed. Sdence Biological information and scientific princi- ples underlie the entire process of conservation planning. For each plan, there must be ecologi- cal information on the species concerned, survey information for the planning area and a moni- toring program to track population and habitat changes. A variety of biologists need to be involved in plan development, including inde- pendent scientists with no financial stake in the outcome of the plan. Scientific principles must be applied to various aspects of the plan, from preserve design to habitat and species manage- ment. Here, we address how the plans that we reviewed have incorporated these basic scientific considerations. Design of Conserved Areas Geographic Scope of Planning e According to the FWS and NMFS HCP handbook, "neither the ESA nor its implement- ing regulations limits the size of an HCP plan- ning area.... HCP boundaries should encompass all areas within the applicant's project, land-use area, or jurisdiction within which any permit or planned activities likely to result in incidental take are expected to occur" (pp. 3-11, FWS and NMFS 1996). Given this flexibility, there is one simple aspect of plans that can improve conser- vation planning from the very beginning: the ability to define the plan's geographic scope in a biologically relevant manner. This advantage is not possible in traditional HCPs under Section 10 of the ESA. Rather than defining the plan- ning area according to biologically determined criteria (i.e., watershed, community type, ecosys-