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<br />002376 <br /> <br />, <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />Fedenl Regiller / Vol. 51. No. 106 / Tue.day, June 3. 1986 / Rule. and Regulallon. <br /> <br />~ , <br />, <br />.. , <br /> <br />ri.ing 10 the level 01 "jeopardlJ:l"i the <br />continued Itxhtence" DC. lI.ted .peclu <br />cannol be the bul. lor luulng a <br />jeopardy opinion. <br />The Service dJ.pute. two commentsn' <br />BllerUonllhat "\.he Serv\ce now <br />propo.e. \0 allow lba 'conllnued <br />exl.tence' of.. lilted .pede. to reach Ii <br />.tata 01 likely leopardy." Tha Sarvice <br />bu lollowed end will conllnue to lollow <br />lbe policy ol.lrictly applying lba <br />jaopardy .tandard ol.actlon 7(a}(2) In <br />the con,wlstlon procell. The Service <br />h.. not and will nol relax the .talulory <br />.tandard. <br />Ona commenler .tated thatUrnlllng <br />the definition of "de.trocHon or adverse <br />modillcatlon" to cr:IlIcal habllall. <br />illogical. Thl. Iimllallon i. mandated by <br />the .lricllansuase ol.ection 7(a)(2) and <br />cannol be allered by the Sarvlce. <br />although bebllal deetrucllon can be the <br />b..l. lor ajaopardy opinion In <br />appropriate cale.. <br />Another commenler requellted that <br />example. be given 01 action. that mighl <br />Indirectly aller critical habllat. The <br />Sarvice re.ponda with the lollowing <br />example. ollndlrecl alleration 01 <br />cr:Ilical habilal(whlch ia not lnlended a. <br />an exclualve 11.1); ground waler pumping <br />that OCCUR on land adjacenllo the <br />critical habilat area. bul neverlhele.a <br />dim.Jnlahe. e..enUal ground water levels <br />wlLbln the ailical habilat; air pollution <br />aeated by an acUon Dot occurring <br />directly on the crltlcal hahllal area th., <br />cauae. 8 deterioration of elllentialair <br />quality levelo In the cr:Illcal habitat; <br />contamination of water eupply wltbJn <br />the aillcal habilat cau.ed by releue 01 <br />toxlc .ub.lance. oul.ld. 01 the aillcal <br />habilat area; elc. <br />In the del\nltlon 01 "leopardlza tha <br />continued exbteDce of," one commenter <br />'U8Ile.ted the word "could" be <br />.ub.tltulad lor "would" In the phr..e <br />"would be expecled, directly or <br />indirectly, 10 reduce appreelably the <br />lIkellbood 01. . . the .urvlvel and <br />recovery olll.ted .peele. . . . ." Such a <br />changa would be an unwarranled <br />deviatlon from the lansuase of the 1978 <br />rule In light ol.ub.equenl Amendmanll <br />to the Act. The Service relaint tbe <br />IUb.lance 01 the propo.ad lansuasa. but <br />doe. delete lb. pbr..e "or otherwt.. <br />.dv.....ly affecling the .peele." <br />becauH. II' IevllraJ commenten <br />'uao.ted. the phr..a II confuaing and <br />add. nothlns 10 the deflnItlon. <br />In reopoDM to N'Veral commenll. th. <br />SarvIoe hat modified tho dellnJtlon 01 <br />"..conry" 10 make II clear the t <br />recovery II not attained until the threall <br />to the opecIlI U ..wyud undar _tlon <br />4{a)(1) 01 the Act have been removed. <br />n.. protectlve ."......... provided lor <br />Ua'-<l apeda. under the Act are DO <br /> <br />~_ OOIl(OO)(l\-MAY-l6-Il~.JO) <br /> <br />10"ier n.e'dod Ii ond'"i...d 0' <br />threalened .Ietu. I. no lonso. appllceble <br />10. .peele. under ..cllon 4(aJ(I). <br />The dellnltlon 01 "Dlroctor" h.. boen <br />modffied by the addItion 01 the phr..e <br />"or hi. euthorind repr..enlatlve" alto. <br />"the FWS reglonel dlreclor" and <br />"A..I.lanl Admlnl.lrelor for FI.ha.lo." <br />10 accommndate pre.enl and fulure <br />delegation. 01 authority to carry out <br />ceria in coneultallon re.ponllbUlUe.. <br />Although tha Minerai. Manogemenl <br />Sarvice raque.led th.t all Outer <br />Conllnenlal Shell (OCS) .ectlon 7 <br />biological oplnlon. luuod by the FWS <br />be .!goed by the W..hlngton Office. tha <br />authority to .!go .uch opinIon. will <br />remain with the regional offices because <br />they hava been .tarrod .peclllcally to <br />conduct alllnters8ency con.uJtaUon. <br />and to .!go the ,,"ulling blologlcel <br />oplnlon.. <br />The term "early conaultaUon" was <br />Included In the propolad rule punuant <br />to the provlalon. ol.ectlon 7(a)(3J. Thl. <br />.ectlon authorize. tha Sarvlca 10 con.u11 <br />with Federalagencle. at the reque'l 01 <br />pro.pectlve applicant.. prior to the <br />.ubmlulon 01 the permll or Iicenee <br />applicatlon 10 thai Federal agency. The <br />dellnJtlon ha. been modilled to <br />relerenca the appropriate oecllon 01 the <br />Act. <br />One commenter reque.ted lhat. <br />inttead of uoing the lerm "early <br />con.u1latlon." the Service relerlo LbI. <br />proce.. .. "con.ulletlon on bebaU 01 <br />prospecUve appUcanta." The commenter <br />w.. concerned tha~ by calJ1ng LbI. pre- <br />appllcatlon proca.. "early <br />coDlullatlon," the Service would faU to <br />alert F.derallSonele. and appllcante 01 <br />the need 10 determine Impacll to <br />endangered or threalened .pecle. early <br />In th. planning .tage. of all 01 their <br />ectloDl. regardlell 01 wbether the <br />coneullatlon I. early, WormaL or <br />formaL The Sarvlce retain. the label <br />"early con.u1latlon" due 10 III <br />convenlenca. IlIlrequenl unln the <br />committee reporia on the 1982 <br />Am.ndmenll. and III common <br />acceptance within and oulllldo the <br />San1ce. The Service beUev.. that the <br />langulSe provided In 1402.14(.), <br />edYl.ing Federal 88"ncle. to review <br />their actloIII al the earlle.t polllble <br />time. provide. edequate .efesuanle to <br />addreu the commenlln' coneemJ. <br />The d.lInJtlon of "Federal apncy" <br />b.. been dele led alace It 10 doflned In <br />oectIon 8(7) of the Act Th.o Sarvlce <br />decllne. to expand the .latutory <br />del\nJtlon 10 ac:commodel. ane <br />oommenlar'. concern. The .tatulory <br />del\nJtlon .dequat.ly provide. notlce <br />thai all deparlmenll, apncle.. and <br />intlnlmlntaUlIe. of th. Ualtad Statal <br />co_ within the ICOpe of ..ctIon 7. The <br /> <br />F4701.PMI'...[lll.3O]-4-15-ae <br /> <br />19935 <br /> <br />I, Il."" : ~. : ',. <br />Service will notlnt.rprel LbI. term <br />lurther ln Ihe llno! rule. <br />The dellnltlon 01 "lorm.1 <br />con.u1teUon" h.. been modllled to <br />.peclfy thellt I. tho con.ulleUon <br />required under .ecUon 7(all21 01 the Ac\. <br />Olher minor, lechnlcal chenge. h.ve <br />al.o been made. The phr..e "aller II h.. <br />been detarmlned. through InCormal <br />conoultaUon with Ihe Sarvlce. Ihalll. <br />action may adve..ely aflecl lI.ted <br />.pecl.. or critlcal habllat" h.. been <br />dale lad from the propo.ed dellnltlon <br />becau'8, 8' recommended by .ome <br />commente.., Inlormal cOIllullatlon I. <br />.trtctly an optional proce... Although <br />the Federal agency may elecllo enler <br />Into Wormal con.ullation 10 determine <br />If formal coIllullatlon I. required. the <br />Fedaral agancy can Inltlate formal <br />con.u1tatlon any time thalli determine. <br />II. actlon may errect lI.ted .pecle. or <br />cr:Itlcal habitat. <br />"Furthar di,culllon" we. an optional <br />proce.. Included In the propo.ed rule. II <br />provided the Federal agency and any <br />appllcanl the opportunlty 10 continue <br />cOIllullatlon after the IlIuanca of a <br />biological oplnlon In order to dfocu.. <br />with the Sarvlce any reaoonable and <br />prudent allematlve. and any <br />conlervation recommendattona. <br />RecommendBUona and alternativell <br />could be refined or developed during <br />thaee diocullloDl, and cODlullatlon <br />would terminate with the Federal <br />agency'. written nolice of III final <br />decl.lon on the actlon. Beceuee 01 <br />concems exprellled by commenters, thi, <br />provlelon contained In propo.ed 1402.16 <br />ha. been delaled &om tha llnaI rule. <br />Although .everal commenlers <br />oupported LbI. provt.lon. many oppoaed <br />further df.cuulon conlendlns that II i. <br />unnecellery. thai all review. and <br />diocu..loDl .bould occur prior 10 the <br />I..uance 01 the biological oplnlon. that II <br />extende coDlultetlon beyond lbe <br />.talutory time limite. and that II lacka <br />.\atulory euthority. Although the <br />procell we. optional. 10mB tommenlsrI <br />believed thai there wa. an Impllcatlon <br />that the Federal apncy or appllcanl <br />would beve a duty to e"'lSe In further <br />di.cuulon. <br />Although further dfocu..lon h.. been <br />deleted. the Service I. avaUable to <br />df.cuu the biological opinion. any <br />realOnable and prudenl allernatlve.. <br />and any coDl8rvatlon recommendatlona <br />with the Federal apncy and any <br />appllcanl on an Informel ba.l.. U <br />revl.loIIIlo the opinion are neceuary, <br />conoultallon can be relnltlated and e <br />revtaad oplnlon IlIued. <br />"lnnIdantal tak." ha. been cIarlfIed In <br />the IInal rule ao thOle take. that raoull <br />&om. bul aN nol the purpoea of. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />~ <br />