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Pinelands staff outline T&E survey practice; commissioners debate a consultant list or Commission'assigned consultants
Summary
Staff described how the Commission decides when threatened and endangered species surveys are needed, reported that about 10% of new applications required surveys in 2023'—24, and prompted a debate over whether the Commission should maintain a list of qualified consultants, assign consultants, or keep applicant-selected consultants with stronger CMP protocols.
Chuck Palmer, director of the Pinelands Commission permitting department, and Rhonda Ward, a 27'year Commission staff member, presented the committee with a detailed overview of how the Commission currently administers threatened and endangered (T&E) species protections and the practical trade'offs of different survey approaches.
The presenters explained the regulatory distinction in the CMP between plants (where the Commission protects a "local population") and animals (where the focus is on "critical habitat" such as denning, overwintering or nesting areas). Palmer used the Legler Landfill solar project and golden aster example to show how the Commission balanced removing several thousand plants while protecting a larger remaining population on the same parcel.
How staff decide when to require surveys: Palmer said staff consider multiple factors when deciding whether a survey is needed: whether point data or sightings exist; habitat type on the…
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