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OD2381 ll1940 Federal ReP.ter I Vol. 51. No. 106 I Tue.day. June 3. 1966 I Rule. and Resulation. 4"nele. of th. ....pon.lblllty .nd .ulhorlly to del.rmln. compll.nce wtth .ectlon 7(.)(2). Wlled th. .ddltlon of. fourth crlt.rlon Ih.t would t.rmlnato tha .ectlon 7(d) prohibition If "th. F.d.ral agency detennlne. thalli. propo.ed .ctlon wtll nOIJeop.rdJ.e Ih. continued existence of endangered and threatened IIpede. or adversely affect critical habitat." Another commenter went further and urged the S.rvlce 10 adopt other criteria whent Federal agency complianc. wtth ..ction 7(.)(2) would remove the .ecUon 7(d) restriction. Two other cammenlan felt that the second criterion-adoptton of reasonable and prudent altemaUve.---mult be restricted to thol\: recommended by the Service. They opp,'.ed allowinil the Federal agency to formulateUc own "realonable and 'prudent altemaUve," without Service approval in order to .vold the prohibition of .ection 7(d}. The commenten raise valid concerns that iliustrate the need 10 reexamlne the duration of the prohibition againal the irreve...ible and Irretrievable commiunent of resources. Firat. the Service recognize. tha~ although It. biological opinion. I..ued by authorlly 'f .ection 7(b) are enlltled 10 greal .' ference. the ultimate decillion of .... _ _ _ nether to proceed wilh an action in _ Wight of .ectlon 7 respon.lbIllUe. re.t. with the Federal asency. The p""posed lansu.Se did preempl F.deral agency diBcretion by placlns.n asency that di.agreed with the conclu.ion of the Service'B biological oplnlon in the awkward poBillon of facfns .ecUon 7(dJ restriction. on it. action. even though it had determined through ItB own analy.i. thai the .ectlon 7(aJl2).tandards w.re satisfied. Second. caee law indicates .,j \iI'~a: .ection 7(d)'. pro.cripllve force '. . J continue. while Federal agency eflom to conform itl acUon to the requirements of .ection 7(a)(2)a... "onsofns," See North Slope Borough v. Andro.. 842 F.2d 589.611 n.143 (D.C. CIr. 1980); Conservation Law Foundation of NtlW England. Inc. v. Andro.. 623 F.2d 712. 714 n.1 (1.1 Clr. IlI7ll). The final rule h.. been amended 10 provide that the Bectton 7(d) prohlblllon i. in forca during . consultation and continue. untillhe requirement. of .ecllon 7(.J(2) ere lalilned. Therefore. If. Feder.1 aSeDcy receives a "no jeopardy" biological optnlon from the Service or chOOlO. eny "!alonable and prodent alternative commended by the Service. tho "qulremenl. of oectIon 7(.)(2) are mel IDd the ..ctlon 7(d) prohlblllon explro.. If the Federal .sency dJ.agroes wtth a "JeopardY" biological opinion or choose. an elt.maUv. 001 provided by the S--O'7_ 001 6(00)(1 I-MA Y -16-1 H"')) Service bued on Itl own InalYlll. then the v.lldlty or the F.d.ral asency'. "no I.op.rdy" find ins wtll deeld. whether ..cllon 7(.)(2) h.. be.n ..1I.n.d .nd wheth.r .ectlon 7(d) no lons.r .pplleo. If III. 1.I.r del.rmin.d th.l tho f1ndlns I. not valid, Ihe Fod.ral .sency would be t.klns the rI.k of noncompllonca wtth Ihe Act. Finally, one commenter a.ked that thtl lectlon be am"tnded to require F.deral as.ncle. to slve writt.n notice to the Service verifying thol neither It nor any applicant ;;,volved ha. made any Irrev.rslbl. or Irretrieveble commltmenl of re.ourca. during con.u1tallon. The Acl doe. not provide .uch authority. .xcept argu.bly in tha exemption proCell. A mandatory .ecllon 7(d) nollca h.. nol been adopl.d In thl. final rule resardlng con.ultatlon procedure. becBuBe .ecllon 7(d) I. .trictly prohibitory in n.1ure and not conlultstive. Subpart B Coosultalloa Procedureo There are five primary componenll wi thin the .ecllon 7 consullatlon, procedurell-COnference. early consullallon. biological a.....ment, Informal con.u1lallon. and formal con.u1lation. Of th..e. only conference. formo! conoullation. and bloJoslcal eo.e..menll may be required. Although a Federal asency may elect 10 UBe leversl of thele procedurel. ihey do not represent a mandatory. sequential proce... A. reque.ted by ona commenler. the followtns I. . brief .b.tr.el of each componenl of the consultallon rroce... If. Federa agency delermlnes that III action I. U1c.ly 10 Jeopardize the coDllnu.d exl.lence of any propoood .peeleo or ...u1t in the de.truetlon or adv.rse modification of propoood aillcal hebllal. thB Federal ageDcy f. required 10 "confer" wtth the Service under 1402.10. The PWl'O.e of a conferenca I. 10 Identify and re.olve pot.nllal confllc18 between .n .ct!on and propo..d .p.e1e. or crillcal heblt.L The Service wtJJ make advl.ory recommendations on way. to ",Infmly~ or .vold .dverse effects. If the propo.ed .peeI.. or propo.ed crillcal habitat I. sub..quently U.ted or dulgnated. respectIvely. then the F.deral agency mUll consld.r whether formal conoultallon under 1402.141. required. "Early consultallon"ls an opllonel proce.. thai may be reque'led through the Fed.ral asency by a pro.pecllve .ppllcanlto d.l.rmIne wh.ther Ita propooed acllon I. UIcoly 10 leopardlze the conllnued .xbt.nce of . lIoted .peeI.s or ...u1lin tho deotructlon or adve... modlJIcallOD of aillcaJ habltaL Early cl.'lIIultatloa oocuno prior 10 a F4701.FMT _[1e.80)......n-aa .... '.. form.1 .ppUcatlon for s Foderal permll or IIcen.e. Such ..rl)' consulloUon I. conduct.d belween the Sarvl"" ond the F.d.ral as.ncy In cooperation wtth tho pro.pecllv. .ppllcant. AI the roque.t of the pro.pect/ve sppllcan~ omy con.u1t.Uon I. lnillsled by the P.deral os.ncy re.pon.tbl. for t..utns the permit or llcan.. and I. sener.lIy conducted and conclud.d in the m.nner pre.crib.d for "formel consultallon," If the acllon I. a "major construction acllvlty." the blololPcol...e..menl requlromanl of 1402.12 mu.t be .all.fied befora Barly consullallon 1.lnlllaled. Afl.r concludJns .arly consultallon. the Service wtll dellv.r III preliminary bloloslcal oplnlou 10 the Federal ageDcy and tho pro.peCIlV8 .ppllcanL Afler formal sppllcallon 10 made for the p.rmlt or Ucensa bul before III I..uance. the F.der.1 agency ohould .ubmlllo the Service e written requeol thel the preUmlneI) bIological OplnlOD be conflrm.d .. a final biological oplnlon under _lion 7(.)(2). If the Service determine. thai no .lgnIfIcanl ch.ns.. have occurred in either the propo..d acllon or the Informa lion avall.ble .ince early consultation. no new Imp.c18 ere anllcipaled, and no new .pec!eo have been Usted or crillcal habitat de.lgna ted .ince early consultallon. It wtJJ confirm thol the preliminary biological OplnlOD remalno .ccurale and ohall be Iroated .. . fIna1 bIological oplnlon IlIued under oectIon 7(b) of the Acl. Consultatton will terminate in eccordance wtth 1402.14(1). Ho w.ver. If the Service 10 unable 10 confirm the preUmlnary biological oplnlon due 10 any of the realOns oulllned in 1402.11. formal consultatloD on th.1 acllon mUll be IDIllaled under 1402.14. ''BIological ......menl.. requtromenll .pply to all major construction ectlvlllu .. defined in theoe regulallons. Ev.n If nol required. Federal agencie. may voluntartJy prepare. biological ......meDllo ...Iot them In fu.lfI1llns their _lion 7 responalblllllu. A11O, lID)' person who wt.heo to apply for an exempllon m.y voluntartJy prepan ouch an ......m.Dlln coopenllon wtth the Service and under the .upervlslon .>f the appropri.te Federal agency. ^ bloloslcal ....11[.....1 conlalns Inform.llon col1O<'l1liD8 Usted or propooed .peeI.. or deslpulted or propoled crillcal habitat thet may be pre"Dtin the .ctlon ....e and an evalualloD of any potenllal affects of the action on 0GCh opecI.. and habltaL ^ bloloslcaJ ....umenl ohouJd be used In determ1n1n8 whother IonnaI OO<1I1Iltatloa or a oonfermoe 10 '....d>wd.