Using Safe Harbor Agreements to Conserve Lahontan Cutthroat Trout in Nevada

Lahontan cutthroat trout (LCT) historically occupied watersheds within the Lahontan Basin of northern Nevada, eastern California, and southern Oregon.  The majority of the land within the historical range of LCT is managed by Federal agencies; however, private lands play an important role because many are located along waterways at the base of mountain ranges where multiple streams come together.  

Multiagency recovery implementation teams have been using safe harbor agreements to encourage recovery actions on private lands.  A Safe Harbor Agreement (SHA) is a voluntary agreement involving private or other non-Federal property owners whose actions contribute to the recovery of species listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act.  The agreement is between cooperating non-Federal property owners and the USFWS.  In exchange for actions that contribute to the recovery of listed species on non-Federal lands, participating property owners receive formal assurances from the USFWS that if they fulfill the conditions of the SHA, the USFWS will not require any additional or different management activities by the participants without their consent.  In addition, at the end of the agreement period, participants may return the enrolled property to the baseline conditions that existed at the beginning of the SHA.