The Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan will continue to authorize incidental-take permits during its renewal process, BCCP staff told the coordinating committee on Nov. 14. "Our existing permit will remain in effect until the renewal process is completed and a new permit has been issued," Kimberly Harvey, BCCP officer, said, citing email confirmation from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Harvey said the first 30-year term formally expires on May 2, 2026, but because the BCCP is in an active renewal the federal regulation allows valid renewable permits to continue authorizing previously permitted activities while the Service reviews the renewal application. She emphasized that individual BCCP incidental-take permits are deed-recorded and "run with the land," so valid, compliant permits remain enforceable during the renewal period.

Staff also described a modernization of the incidental-take permitting process. Development permitting administered by Travis County is already moving to the county's My Government Online platform; the infrastructure permitting process administered by the City of Austin will be tested soon and is expected to use the same portal next year. The online system will let applicants create accounts, track permit progress, and pay fees electronically — replacing previous in-person check payments.

Committee members asked for concrete examples and volume estimates. Harvey said incidental-take permits cover actions ranging from single-family home impacts to large planned communities and city or county capital improvement projects and infrastructure work such as new water lines. She estimated roughly two to three development permits processed monthly and "a couple" of infrastructure permits per month, while noting applications do not guarantee a final permit. Harvey said the BCCP will do outreach and update the Travis County website when the infrastructure workflow is ready.

The committee did not take formal action on any policy changes at the meeting; staff said the renewal and online permitting are designed to provide continuity and certainty for landowners, developers and infrastructure projects while the BCCP coordinates with federal partners.