The Cumberlands rank among the highest areas in the U.S. in terms of biodiversity. Of the thousands of plant and animal species present, dozens are federally listed as threatened or endangered, candidates for listing, are rare, or endemic to the HCP planning areas. In conjunction with the Scientific Advisory Committee and species experts, the Core Teams identified “covered species.” The HCP will address take of these species, which will be specifically identified in the final HCP document. The “No Surprises” assurances of the HCP apply only to take of the covered species. Starting from an inclusive species occurrence list, compiled from A, B, C, the Core Teams used a series of filters to select the subset of species to be covered in the HCPs. The Core Teams considered the listing status, probability that a species will be listed in the future, age of occurrence records, proximity of species occurrences to the HCP planning area, population and habitat information, degree of dependence on habitat in the Cumberlands for future viability, vulnerability to the covered activities, benefits to the species from inclusion in the HCP, and supplemental information. Separate lists of “Species that Will Benefit from the HCP” have also been developed. These are species that are currently not listed as threatened or endangered at the federal or state level. Should conditions change, these species may be added in the future by amending the HCP and the Incidental Take Permit.
As of March 2010, 45 covered species were being considered for inclusion in the FRHCP. These include seven bats, three birds, six small mammals, three reptiles, five salamanders, seven fish, three crayfish, three mussels, and eight plants. The covered species list for the CHCP is under development. Although both HCPs are being developed in the Cumberlands, the species lists differ slightly due to differences in the applicants, covered activities, and planning areas. Below are links to the draft covered species lists and related information for each HCP. These are frequently revised. Contact the HCP Science Coordinators with any questions about updates to the species lists.
Species Accounts
The Science Advisory Committee developed in-depth Species Accounts for six focal species. These focal species were selected because of their broad distribution in this portion of the Cumberlands and the amount of available information about these species (distribution, population status and threats). Detailed information will be developed for all covered species the final HCP.
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