Habitat Conservation Plans are part of the Endangered Species Act and were created by Congress in 1982. They are designed to protect federally-listed, and plant and animal species of concern, while also allowing otherwise lawful development to proceed. Congress envisioned these plans as integrating development and land-use activities with conservation in a climate of cooperation.

For more than a decade, Tejon Ranch has been working the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to develop such a plan. The Tehachapi Uplands Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan is now in its final stage of preparation.

Complementing the Tejon Ranch Conservation and Land Use Agreement announced in May 2008, the Tehachapi Uplands Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan protects an area of habitat five times the size of the city of San Francisco. It is the culmination of years of scientific study and collaboration with the federal government and independent scientists to develop a strategy that protects natural habitats and preserves species while minimizing and mitigating any potential impacts from the Ranch’s ongoing business activities.

Central to the Plan are a number of measures designed to ensure the California condor’s ongoing recovery, a goal the Ranch has worked towards for more than three decades. The measures were developed in consultation with USFWS biologists and some of the most respected condor experts in the nation. Some of the measures include:

• Preserving 94% of high quality condor foraging area within its boundaries;
• Placing new utility lines underground;
• Land planning considerations that take into account the existing natural setting and historic condor activity, including ensuring planned development is located away from potential condor foraging areas;
• Eliminating use of lead ammunition in the Ranch’s hunting program;
• Providing supplemental condor feeding stations;
• Providing GPS tracking devices that can help officials identify when birds are in trouble and where to find them;
• Establishing a 37,000-acre USFWS Condor Study Area; and
• Employing a full time on-site biologist and establishing a condor education program for residents and guests.

Perhaps most importantly, under no circumstances does the Plan permit the lethal take of condors.

Additionally, the Conservation Plan, which initially began as a condor-only program, evolved in recent years to take into consideration Tejon Ranch’s rich biodiversity. It now covers and protects an additional 26 species of plants and animals, many of which have no current state or federal protections.