Notes and Templates from PRRIP Meeting

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c TEMPLATE BIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT & REQUEST FOR FORMAL SECTION 7 CONSULTATION [DATE] Ccd/or?Ct'? ? [FROM FEDERAL ACTION AGENCY TO U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE] This letter contains the Biological Assessment addressing potential impacts from operation of the [Project] on federally-listed species in Nebraska. With this submission, we are requesting initiation of Formal Consultation under Section 7(a) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.)("ESA"), concerning the whooping crane (Grus americana), interior least tern (Sternula antillarum), northern Great Plains population of the piping plover (Charadrius melodus), pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) (collectively referred to as the "target species"), and designated critical habitat of the whooping crane. We further request initiation of Formal Consultation for the bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) and western prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera praeclara) [include other non-target listed species or critical habitats, as rieeded]. We have deternuned that the Project is not likely to adversely affect the American burying beetle (Nicrophorus americanus) and will have no effect on the Eskimo curlew (Numenius borealis). [Briefly describe: (1) Project; (2) Applicant; (3) Project location; and (4) Federal action (e.g., permit or authorization) associated the Project.] Operation of this Project will result in some amount of continuing historic and/or new depletions to the South Platte River associated with [specify and approximately quantify water sources and uses under projected build-out conditions]. The Platte River Recovery Implementation Program (PRRIP), established in 2006, is implementing actions designed to assist in the conservation and recovery of the target species and their associated habitats along the central and lower Platte River in Nebraska through a basin-wide cooperative approach agreed to by the States of Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming and the U.S. Department of the Interior [Program, I.A.1.]. The Program addresses the adverse impacts of existing and certain new water related activities on the Platte target species and associated habitats, and provides ESA compliancel for effects to the target species and whooping crane critical habitat from such activities including avoidance of any prohibited take of such species. [Program, I.A.2 & footnote 2.]. The State of Colorado is in compliance with its obligations under the Program. 1 "ESA Compliance" means: (1) serving as the reasonable and prudent alternative to offset the effects of water- related activities that FWS found were likely to cause jeopardy to one or more of the target species or to adversely modify critical habitat before the Program was in place; (2) providing offsetting measures to avoid the likelihood of jeopardy to one or more of the target species or adverse modification of critical habitat in the Platte River basin for new or existing water-related activities'evaluated under the ESA after the Program was in place; and (3) avoiding any prohibited take of target species in the Platte River basin.