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<br /> <br />002377 <br /> <br />19936 <br /> <br />Fed...1 Resl.l.r I Vol. 51. No, 100 I Tue.day. lune 3. 19116 I Rule. and R.sulalJon. <br /> <br />ClIrryl"ll out .n oth.rwh. I.wful .ctlvtly <br />conduct.d by the P.d.r.1 ...ncy or the <br />.ppllc.nt. A. requ..t.d by one <br />commenter, the Service explain. that <br />otherwlle lawful.cOvill.. are thOle <br />action. .hat m..t .11 Stat. .nd Pedor.1 <br />leBa) requJrement. except for the <br />prohibition agallUlll.kIng In ..ctlon 9 of <br />the Act. Th. Service believe. th.t the <br />definition. a. c1arifi.d In the final rule. I. <br />adequate. <br />The d.finltlon of "Informal <br />con.ultallon" h.. baen c1arifi.d In the <br />final rul. 10 Indlcala that It I. an <br />optional proce.. that Includ.. all <br />discu.ujon.. correspondence, .stc.. <br />belween the Service, P.d.ralagency, <br />and designated non-Federal <br />representative prior to fonnal <br />consultation. To addreaa one <br />commenter'. concerns. "If required" hal <br />been included after "Cormal <br />consultation" to clarify that form.1 <br />consultation i. not always required after <br />informal con.ulfallon. Through Informal <br />consultation. a Federal agency may <br />determine that Cormal consultation i. not <br />required. <br />The definition of "listed species" is <br />adopted 88 proposed. Contrary to the <br />concern of one commenter. aquatic <br />invertebrates are n9t excluded from this <br />definition. because all listed Ipedes in <br />50 CFR 17.11-17.12 are .pecifically <br />included. <br />The definition of "major construction <br />activity" WIS included in the definition <br />of biological assessment in the proposed <br />role and ia adopted subatantiaUy as <br />propo.ed. A. .ugge.ted by many <br />commentere. it has been made a <br />aeparale definition. Whether a Federal <br />.uclion Illl major conatruction activity. <br />a. defined in the.e regulation.. i. the <br />standard ulled for determining whether a <br />Federal agency mUlt prepare a <br />biological Bl8eslmenl A "major <br />construction acUvlly" f. defined 8. 8 <br />conatruclion project (or other <br />undertaking having .imllar phy.lcal <br />impact.) that I. a major Pederal action <br />.ignificantly affecting the quality of the <br />human environment for purpoaea of <br />NEPA. The term encompBl8eJ dam.. <br />building.. pipeline.. road.. water <br />relource developmenta. channel <br />improvemenl.. and other .ueb <br />undertaking. which .lgnIficantly modify <br />the phy.iCllI .nvlronment. <br />A vBlt srray of comment. were <br />received concerning the ocope of . <br />major colUltructlon .ctivlty th.t require. <br />the preperallon of. blolostcel <br />,..Ie..ment. Several commenten noted <br />that only m.Jor Pedor.1 'CtlOlUl <br />requiring the prepanotlon of an <br />.nvlronm.nlallmpsct .t.tement (1!lS) <br />punuanlto NEPA .hould require the <br />prepsrellon of . blolosteal .._.ment <br /> <br />S-CT_ 001 2(00)(1 I-IdA Y -I6-IUH1) <br /> <br />und.r .ectlon 7(c) of the Act. Othor <br />commente" argued that all.llment. <br />c.n only b. required for m.jor Ped".1 <br />acltona Involving con.truct1on ,cUYlel.a, <br />and 'USS..t.d th.t the phr... "or oth.r <br />und.rt.klng. h.vI"ll .Imllar phy.lcsl <br />Impact." b. ellmln.t.d from the <br />d.finltlon. Pour comm.nters thought th.t <br />the .tandard In the propo..d ruI. w.. <br />100 narrow, becaule the Hmlt.tion 10 <br />major Fed.rel acllon.. .nd/or the <br />limitation to con.tructloo proj.ct. and <br />oth.r und.rtakl"ll. having .lmllar <br />phy.lcallmp.ct., were arbitrary .nd <br />without legal b..I.. Th. Service h.. <br />adopt.d the d.finltion of major <br />con.tructlnn .ctlvlty .. propo..d for the <br />realon. eet out below. <br />Th. legi.l.lIv. history of ..ction 7(c) <br />of the Act plainly focu.ed the <br />mandatory duty to prepare blolostcsl <br />8l18ellment. on "major Federal action. <br />. . . de.lgned primarily to re.u1t In the <br />building or erecllon of dams, building., <br />pipeline. and the U1ce." H.R. Conf. Rep. <br />No. 697, aupro. The lwo-pronsed <br />regulatory te.t adopted in thl. rule- <br />major Federal action and conetruction <br />project (or other undertaking baving <br />.imilor phy.icallmpacts)-....dearly <br />track. the quoted language from the <br />Conference Report to the 1979 <br />Amendment.. The Service will not <br />reql'l1'e blolosfcal 88Jenmen18 for <br />project. thelare not major Federal <br />actione for purpose. of NEPA. Fwther. <br />the Servlc. will not require biological <br />aelleealmentl for actions that do not <br />involve con.trucllon or acllviUe. having <br />phy.lcallmpacts .Imilar 10 COlUltructiOn. <br />.uch .. dredging. bla.ting. elc. ThI. <br />lImilation d.rive. .upport from the 1979 <br />Conference Report reference to actlolUl <br />de.lgned primarily /{) result In the <br />building or erection of varlou. projects. <br />The.e oth.r "potentl.lly de.tructive <br />acllvltie.... H.R. Rep. No.I62li, .upro. <br />having phy.icallmpacts dmJler to <br />colUltructlon project.. will require the <br />prepar.Uon of an ......men~ bul only If <br />thay ere major F.deral actloDl for <br />purpo... of NEPA. <br />The Service daclln.. 10 limit the ocope <br />of the definJtion of a major conatructlon <br />activity to major Pedoral actio... <br />involving coDltruction projects. beceuse <br />other potenllally de.trucUve 8ctlvlti.. <br />tIuol are major P.de,,1 actlolUl m.y h.ve <br />.Imilar phy.lcallmpact. and .hould be <br />Included. Th. Servl"" Is confId'nt tIuot <br />the oourts will be .bl. to .pply this <br />.tandard oolUll.tent with the Act and the <br />legI.latlv. history. <br />Contr.ry to the beli.f of 01111 <br />commenl&r. the Servi.. ho. not <br />.bras.1ed u. .uthorll)' under sectlon <br />7(c). Thot commont.. ursed the Service <br />to chans. this ruI. by rsqulrln8 <br />blolosteal u....ments ''for .ctIons tho~ <br /> <br />F4101.PMT _[I8,80]...H5-all <br /> <br />.~ <br /> <br />tsJdnt Into cOOllclerotlon cumuJ.tlvo <br />./feets. may bo 'potsnllslly <br />d..tructlv..' " CltInf . Pobruory 11160 <br />log. I opinion I..ued by th. As.I.tanl <br />Sollctlor for PI.h olld Wlldllf.. <br />Dep.rtm.nt of the interior, tho <br />commenter not.d thot cumulallv. .ffects <br />may lri8ll.r the requlrem.nt thot on <br />......m.nt be prepared. .lthough the <br />Service mu.t d.f.r to the : .deral <br />ag.ncy'. d.clslon on wh.ther. mafor <br />Peder.1 .cllon .xlsts. Contending th.1 <br />Cong'''', would have uo.d the word <br />".holl" Inotesd of "may" In th.la.t <br />.ent.nce of section 7(c)(I) If It h.d <br />Intended thol......ments be requlred <br />only for major Pederal .ctlons for <br />purpo... of NEPA. the commentor <br />arsued th.t the definJUon of "major <br />construction .ctivlty" .hould be <br />expand.d: <br />"M'lor Construcllou .ctI.Uy" ....... any <br />planned. t.mporary. or psnooneat pbyolc&l <br />modlllcetloD to Ihs soviromDeDL Exsmples of <br />.uch prolocts Include bat ore 001 UmIted to. <br />dred8Ioi- dr\Wna. flI1Ios, miIlfn8, lite <br />preporotiOl1, road """,trucIlOl1, the sroctlou <br />of.trucIureo .uch u d&mI ODd buildlap. or <br />any otlJ., poleDtIsJJy dsstrucllyo octlYtttss. <br /> <br />The comment.r'. sugge.ted language <br />goe. w.1I beyond the .bove-dted <br />I.gi.lativ. history oflbe Act which <br />clearly limited the blolosteal ..se..ment <br />requlrem.nt to malor Federal ectlons <br />within the meaning of NEPA thet are <br />coDltructlon projects or thet Involve <br />.Imiler phy.lcallmpscts. Further. the <br />legal opinion of the As.f.tanl80Udto, <br />ctted by the commenter doe. not auprort <br />the commentor'. ergumenl beceu.. thol <br />opinion dealt with cumul.tive effects of <br />a proposed coll6trvctian project and a <br />b",lc ruI. of NEPA cese lew th.1 <br />cumulativ.lmpacts of an .ctlon can <br />trigger the requlremenl thot on EIS be <br />prepared. Thus. the bulc .I.ments of <br />this ruI.'. requlrem.n__jor Federal <br />.ctlon (e-8., EIS. or the functloaal <br />equlvalen~ required) and CODIlruct!on <br />project (or .ctlvlty involvlns similar <br />physleallmpects}-w.... ..aumecI 10 be <br />.ppropriat. .tandarcU by the Aulstant <br />Solletlor. The use of lb. word ......y" <br />Inol..d of "ohaU" In oecUon 7(c) means <br />nothlna more than Congreoaloaallntant <br />thot the duty to ooordln&te u.- review <br />prooe.... I. dlscretion.ory with the <br />Pederal .IIODC)'. <br />M requ..1ed by ODII ~_Ier, the <br />ftnsJ definJtion c:Iesrly .teteo thel an <br />octlon must bo both . m.1<< Federal <br />actlnn f.. purposa of NEPA D1ld . <br />CODItructlon project (0' other .ctlvll)" <br />Involvlns .lmUar Impacts). Thsrefore. It <br />plainly foUowl tho~ sIthoagh dome. <br />Flp-II~ etc. are OODItruct!oa <br />.ctlvltIeo. a hIoloslcal......-...t Is DOt <br /> <br />I <br />I I <br /> <br />