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that also may impact a critical reach (e.g. water management, water quality, <br />water depletions, and nonnative fish stocking and introductions). <br />The loss of a single piece of habitat may not jeopardize the continued <br />existence of the species, but i mad! reduce the ability of CH to contribute to <br />recovery. This couldhave a detrimental effect on the reach or that portion <br />of the reach where the loss occurred and could ;preclude recovery or reduce the <br />likelihood of survival of the species. <br />Any Federal action within designated critical habitat (or outside critical <br />habitat that may impact critical habitat), regardless of magnitude of impact <br />"should be;treated as an action that "may _affect" critical habitat. Federal <br />actions which may have beneficial, discountable, or insignificant effects upon <br />the endangered fishes or their critical habitats could be deemed to be in <br />compliance with section 7(a)(2) without formal consultation with written <br />concurrence from the Service. Federal actions that "may affect" critical <br />habitat must be evaluated to determine if destruction or adverse modification <br />of critical habitat is likely to result. If the Federal action is likely to <br />result in destruction or adverse modification of critical habitat, the Service <br />must discuss with the Federal agency and any applicant the availability of <br />reasonable and prudent alternatives (if.any) that can be taken to avoid <br />violating section 7(a)(2). <br />It must be emphasized that section 7 of the ESA only applies to Federal <br />actions and that each Federal action must be evaluated on a case -by -case <br />basis. <br />