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2 <br />habitat in the affected area. A summary of these activities is provided <br />below. <br />On December 8, 1978, the Director of the Service requested the Commission to <br />initiate consultation under section 7 of the Act on the proposed installation <br />of a 50- megawatt (MW) hydroelectric plant at Kingsley Dam (U.S. Fish and <br />Wildlife Service 1978a). On April 6, 1979, the Director of the Office of <br />Electric Power Regulation requested a list of applicable threatened and <br />endangered species as required by section 7(c) of the Act (Federal Energy <br />Regulatory Commission 1979a). <br />The Service's June 1, 1979, response to the Commission expressed concern about <br />deterioration of designated whooping crane critical habitat. In this <br />response, the Service stated that, "... it appears that the critical habitat <br />may be declining at existing flow levels. If this trend of water depletion <br />continues, a significant portion or all of the Platte River will be lost as a <br />whooping crane use area. The entire project is a major factor in the <br />depletion of Platte River flows. Therefore, it is essential that FERC study <br />the operation of the entire project and in consultation with the FWS exercise <br />the Congressionally mandated duty by requiring Project Nos. 1417 and 1835 be <br />operated to conserve the Platte River whooping crane habitat in Nebraska." <br />This response also suggested contents for the Commission's biological <br />assessment, including the need for a cumulative impact assessment (U.S. Fish <br />and Wildlife Service 1979a). <br />On December 4, 1979, the Commission provided its biological assessment dated <br />November 19, 1979, and requested formal section 7 consultation with the <br />Service (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 1979b). The Commission's <br />biological assessment concluded that the proposed modification would not <br />change the average daily flow from the project and that the installation of <br />the Kingsley Hydro -unit would not further alter or degrade federally <br />designated critical habitat or jeopardize the continued existence of the <br />whooping crane. <br />On February 25, 1980, the Service provided the Commission its biological <br />opinion on the Kingsley hydroelectric plant. The Service concurred with the <br />conclusions of the biological assessment that the Kingsley Hydroelectric <br />Project itself (emphasis added) would have no added effects on the peregrine <br />falcon and would not likely jeopardize the continued existence of the bald <br />eagle or whooping crane because the flow regime would be essentially <br />unchanged. However, the biological opinion also recommended that the <br />applicants comply with a number of "... procedures to ensure that the projects <br />operate in a manner which would aid in conserving the whooping crane and its <br />r <br />