Endangered Species Act

In February 1994, and again in April 1997, the Army published the Installation-Wide Multispecies Habitat Management Plan (HMP) for the closure and reuse of former Fort Ord to comply with the requirements of the Endangered Species Act.  The HMP establishes the guidelines for the conservation and management of plant and wildlife species and habitats that largely depend on Fort Ord land for survival.  The HMP includes requirements such as monitoring and reporting following the cleanup of contaminated sites to ensure a healthy recovery.  The HMP was developed with input from federal, state, local, and private agencies and organizations concerned with the natural resources and the reuse of Fort Ord.  The overall goals of the HMP are (1) to avoid any net loss of populations or important habitat for any of the subject species of the HMP and (2) to promote preservation, enhancement, and restoration of habitat and populations of HMP species while allowing implementation of the community-based reuse plan.

The goals stated above are being accomplished by transferring the larger contiguous and biologically diverse habitat parcels to natural resource management agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the California State Parks.  The rare species found in central maritime chaparral are to be managed by BLM using prescribed fire to promote a healthy plant community and prevent their extinction.  By ensuring the reserves are managed to promote the continued existence of these rare species and habitats, other areas containing these species can be developed.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) stated in a letter to the Army dated April 24, 2000:

The Installation-Wide Multispecies Habitat Management Plan (view) was completed and signed by the Army and the USFWS in 1997.  Of the 14 signatories to the HMP including the Fort Ord Reuse Authority, the California Department of Parks is the only agency that has not yet signed the HMP.