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November 30, 1999 <br />Land Entity White Paper <br />tasks and involve decision - making at some level, whether day -to -day implementation <br />decisions (such as today is the day to mow a meadow) or broader decisions (such as <br />whether to close on a specific land protection transaction or how to restore a particular <br />tract of land as habitat). <br />All of the listed functions need to be assigned somewhere in the Program's <br />structure, but it is not likely that all would be assigned to a Land Entity. The selection of <br />a management structure for the land component will ultimately depend on how <br />responsibility for the listed functions is to be divided: what levels of decision - making or <br />discretion will be in the hands of the task- implementing Land Entity or entities, and what <br />decision - making will be handled by the Governance Committee or elsewhere in the <br />Program's governance structure. <br />The following land component functions must be assigned to the Governance <br />Committee, a Land Entity, or another entity: <br />I . Negotiate, acquire and hold interests in lands counting toward <br />Program habitat protection goals. This includes the future ability to sell some of <br />the interests acquired, if appropriate. <br />2. Restore or enhance habitat lands, and manage them to retain <br />habitat values into the future. Restoration and management involve both planning <br />and implementation tasks. They must: <br />a. Improve and maintain habitat values for the target species <br />in a manner such that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service continues to <br />consider the Program sufficient to avoid jeopardy to the species. <br />b. Consistent with the willing buyer / willing seller/ voluntary <br />participant philosophy of the Program, be a "good neighbor" to <br />surrounding lands. <br />3. Develop and use strategies to achieve land protection objectives. <br />Strategies would need to cost - effective, fair and flexible. <br />4. Coordinate actions with habitat lands protected by others but <br />which will count toward Program habitat goals. <br />5. Coordinate actions with all levels of government, stakeholders, <br />communities, non - profit groups and others. This includes: <br />a. If land is not owned in fee, working with landowners so <br />that they know what to expect, understand their responsibilities, and <br />provide assurance that retained rights are not compromised. <br />4 <br />