Sec. 83.012.  PURPOSE.  The purpose of this subchapter is to:
(1)  establish the requirements for and authority of a governmental entity to regulate wildlife through the development, financing, and implementation of a regional habitat conservation plan or a habitat conservation plan;
(2)  encourage governmental entities to use the authority under this subchapter to develop and implement habitat conservation plans instead of regional habitat conservation plans;
(3)  coordinate, to the greatest extent practicable, habitat preserves with lands set aside or to be set aside under local, state, or federal laws or regulations;
(4)  prohibit plan participants from devaluing land containing endangered species or endangered species habitat through plan participant actions;  and
(5)  require plan participants of existing regional habitat conservation plans to comply with the requirements of this subchapter so that existing regional habitat conservation plans become habitat conservation plans as quickly as possible.
Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1268, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.