Wildlife & Habitat Conservation

One of the many distinguishing attributes of the Harris Ranch community is its proximity to the Foothills and Boise River. Recognizing that the location of the community lies in a corridor directly between these two important wildlife and habitat areas, the Harris family and the Developer of Harris Ranch proactively initiated a comprehensive Wildlife Assessment and Mitigation Plan which a) identifies potential direct and indirect impacts to wildlife and habitat resulting from construction/residential activities, and b) provides a means for enabling actions and options for avoiding, minimizing or mitigating those identified impacts.

An important component of the Harris Ranch Wildlife Assessment and Mitigation Plan is the establishment of a Conservation Fund which (among other purposes) will enable the creation of a full time Conservation Director position at Harris Ranch. The Conservation Director will be tasked with managing all aspects of a comprehensive conservation program for the community. The Conservation Director's responsibilities will include:

• Organizing and supervising restoration and enhancement efforts
• Coordinating and facilitating conservation education programs
• Seeking grant funding for conservation education and habitat enhancement projects
• Identifying, observing and reporting on problems related to wildlife in the neighborhood
• Assisting residents in rectifying issues related to wildlife nuisances
• Monitoring and maintaining effective fuel breaks and monitoring/treating weeds

Funding for these conservation efforts will come from three sources:

• A deed transfer fee of $300 collected at the time of each and every sale (initial and resale) of a residential property within the community. Note - $200 of this fee (which was collected as part of the escrow settlement process when you purchased a Harris Ranch home) is "refundable" simply by attending two conservation activities within the first year of ownership. Information and scheduling of these activities will be forwarded to you as it becomes available and will also be posted on the Harris Ranch HOA web site.
• An annual $100 per household Conservation Fee included as part of your HOA dues.
• Commercial properties within Harris Ranch will contribute to the fund at a rate of $0.10 per square foot of commercial space.

More details regarding the Conservation Fund and Director as outlined in Section 6.0 "Voluntary Conservation Mitigation Actions By Harris Ranch To Benefit Wildlife and Habitat" of the Harris Ranch Wildlife Impact Assessment and Mitigation Plan are included in this binder. The entire 254 page Harris Ranch Wildlife Impact Assessment and Mitigation Plan can be found on the Harris Ranch HOA web site.

Download The Harris Ranch Wildlife & Habitat Conservation Plan »