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species. The critical habitat designation should be made based on sound science, and not on a <br />predetermined schedule. <br />(2) Critical habitat shall not be designated until the federal government completes a realistic, peer - <br />reviewed economic analysis that fully and comprehensively evaluates the costs of both the <br />species listing and habitat designation. Critical habitat shall not be designated unless the <br />analysis shows the benefits of designation outweigh the economic costs. <br />(3) Critical habitat designations shall be narrow and specific, precisely defining the included areas. <br />Areas of unoccupied habitat shall be excluded unless sufficient information exists to identify it <br />as truly essential for conservation and recovery of the species. <br />(4) Areas covered by habitat conservation plans (HCPs) shall be excluded from critical habitat <br />designations. There shall be no critical habitat designations under ecosystems management. <br />C) Recovery Plans: <br />The development of recovery plans and.the recovery of threatened and endangered species, including the <br />provision of adequate funding, is a federal obligation. After a species is listed, the federal government <br />shall publish a recovery plan that identifies: <br />(1) the actions necessary for recovery; <br />(2) the costs of the actions necessary for recovery; <br />(3) the probability of recovery if actions are taken; <br />(4) quantified goals and a recovery date; <br />(5) the potential social and economic impacts of recovery; <br />(6) the costs and benefits of recovery and <br />(7) critical habitat essential for conservation and recovery of the species. <br />d) Conservation Plans: <br />(1) Authorization: In addition to providing authority for conservation plans and incidental take <br />authority for listed species, the Act shall provide the necessary authority for conservation plans <br />for species in advance of listing. Conservation plans shall provide for automatic incidental take <br />permits upon subsequent listing if the plan has been adopted and followed. Permitted incidental <br />"takes" in conservation plans provide incentive for conservation measures to be implemented in <br />advance of listing and thus enhance opportunities to avoid a species listing. <br />(2) Voluntary Natural Systems Conservation Plans: The Act shall provide the necessary authority <br />for conservation plans that are focused on conservation of habitats or ecosystems rather than <br />specifically on species. Such plans shall be voluntarily entered into in lieu of species -based <br />conservation plans to achieve conservation on incidental take authorizations. Such plans shall <br />provide for incidental take authorizations of listed and unlisted species that utilize the habitats or <br />ecosystem conserved by the plan. <br />(3) Cooperative Efforts Preference: Cooperative actions to conserve species, including candidate <br />species conservation agreements, shall be given preference in lieu of listing such species as <br />threatened or endangered. <br />(4) No Surprises. No surprises assurances shall be provided for HCPs and for Section 7 <br />consultations affecting non - federal parties. <br />e) Artificial Propagation: The Act shall clearly support artificially propagating populations of endangered <br />species in order to achieve self - sustaining populations and encourage the designation of experimental non - essential <br />populations to facilitate recovery efforts. In some instances, responsible artificial propagation and recruitment can <br />be the only means to recover a species, especially where competition between native species and introduced <br />species is a significant factor. <br />