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I 002387 19946 Federal RqI.l.r / Vol. 51. No. 106/ Tue.da}'. June J. 1986 / Rule. end Regulallon. nvalve. the Dlrector'. luuanee of . .poete. 11.1. Thl. p.ragroph w.. .dopt.d from 1402.12(bJ\2) or tho propo.ed rul.. The biologic. .lIelllment procell begin. whan a Feder.logency deetd.. thatH. action Is a malor conllrucllon activity. as diaculled in the.. regulation.. or II daclde. th.t II will voluntarily prepare. biological asses.meRt. The Faderal aBeney or the de6ignaled non-Federal repreaentatlv8 requellh informalion on whether U.ted or proposed .pecie. or deslgnat8d or propo.ed critical habllat may bo pre.ent in rhe acllon aree. Within 30 day. of receipt or that Inquiry. the DIrector will re.pond with a lI.t of any .uch .p.cle. and critical habllat that may be pre.ent, a. well a. the avellable data (or referencealhereto). This may include rec.:ommendatione for atudlea or lurveya that may ...I.t In the preparation of the biological .uelament. Contrary to the contention. of leversl commentera. the request for 8 IIpeclea lis. is mandatory under section 7(c) for ~.~,~:a. any major construction activity. unle.. the Federal agency forwardll it. own Ii.t for the Director', concurrence e. explained below. ThJ, II not a burdensome requirement. even Cor lpparent "no effect'~_ acllons. .ince the "tire proce... including the Director'. .'-:~elponse that no Bifed speciel or . ... critical habitat occun in the action area. may be canied out without dalay through the NEPA proce... In Ie.ponR 10 comment.. the final regulation. explieltly allow the Federal agency or the de.lgna ted non-Pederal repre.entalive to proceed with the pr.paration of the blologlcala..e..menl prior to receiving. .peele. It.t from the Service. In thl. .ltuatlon. the Pederal ..... ag.ncy or the de.lgnat.d non-Peder.1 "I;l'6pre.entativel. required to notify the , , Director 10 writing .. to the .pecle. and '. critical habUat th.t .re being Includ.d in the ..lsl.ment. AI recommended by three comm.nt.... the Service will re.pond to thl. notification In writing wi thin 30 day. e. to wheth.r U concuro with the .pecl.. .nd crltlcal hablt.t to be covered In tho bIological ......ment. One commenler suggested that an applicant .hould hav. an opportunIty to Inrormally requ..t . .pect.. Uat to a..l.t it during the planning .tllle of. project. Then. Ir the appltcanl bogino prep...tlon of e biological ......m.nl within 110 day. or receipt of thl. "Informal" U.r; the comment.r thought th.t the Service .hould not .m.nd the Ii.t .1 . later Um.. be commenler .ppe8l"l to be .dvocaUng on opportunity for .orIy con.uU.tlon. which 10 provlded ror und.r 1402.11 of thI. fIn.1 ruI.. N.verth.I.... the nqu.'1 thet . speele. lI.t DOt bo modllled onoe I..ued 5-07_ OO21(OIXll-MA Y -I6-llolH12) ~ might b.ckftr. on tho .ppltcant. b.c.u.. 1402.14 requlro. con.ultaUon on .It It.led .p.clOI .nd crltlc.1 h.bl\.t th.t may ba .re.cled by . Federol.ptlon. Even If a special Is Inadverten(Jy omined rrom the .p.ele. It.t .nd blologic.1 ......m.nt. the Act nevertheleu require. that it mUlt be con.ldered In .eU.fy!ng the requlrem.nto or ..ctlon 7(a)(2).'.Thu., the looner the Service noUtlel the applicant or additional .p.cle. to b. Inclllded In a r.quired biological a.....m.nt. the .oon.r the collluUatlon will b. compl.ted. . In addition to lI.t.d or propci.ed apecle. or dOlIgn.tad or propo..d critical habltit. the Servlca will Include candidate .pecle. In the .pecles 1I.t. Candidate Ipedel are thole .pecles being con.ldered ror lI.tJns but not yet the .ubj.ct or a propo.ed rule. nu. will inform the Federal agency and any applicant or potential propo.al. for 1I.11ng. Candidate .pecte. h.ve no legal ItatuI and are accorded no legal protection under tho Act. and thu. the Federallllency need not Includ. them in a biological alsessment. However. .bould a candidete .pecle. become propo.ed or Ii.ted prior to completion or the action. a conference or Connal con.u1I.tion may be required. Several commenterB asked that .peclea lI.t. be ".Ue-.peclfic" end not regional In .cope. On. of thOle commente.. urged the Service to.lnclude only .pecle. aclually known or bellev.d to occur In the action area. The Service agree. that tho .peele. lI.t .hould be tailored to tho action are. end that ftald pe..onnel .hould take care that tho U.t Is not overincludve. However. the Act require. the Service to provide a lI.t or allll.t.d or propo..d .peele. that "may be preeentUtn the action area. Thu.. migratory .pecle. th.t "may ba pre.ent" at .ome point wlthlD the .ction are. mu.t be Includ.d In the .peete. 1I.t. Another commenter .ald that the Service .hould Includ. only .peel.. In the lI.t that It b.UevOl may be .reected by the action. Thlo approech I. not con.lot.nt with .action 7(c). which require. e di.c1o.ure of .11 .peel.. that "may be pre..nt" In the .ction ere.. n. comm.nt would .110 .limIn.te tho Feda..log.ncy'. right to meke an lnltiel ev.lu.Uon of po..lble .reecll to ..ch .p.d... One commen'er'. concluolOll th.,. determln.tlon or no .dv.... .Rect .ft.r receIpt of the .pocl.. 1I.t. but before preparation of the ...,,&manl. .lImln.t.. the n.ed to prepare the ..,,"ment and oonclude. COQ.ult.aUOD I. .mlnIOUI. Th. blologtccl ............t I. uoed 10 d.tormlfuo wli.ther an .ctIvlty "10 likely to .dv....ly alfect" IIoted F4701.FMT...[111,80J ...4-1&-aS ... ' """'- , .p.et.. or crltlcal h.bltat. Colllultatlon do.. not conclud. unI... the Service concuro In writing with the finding of the blologlc./ ......menllndicatJns thet lb. .ctlon I. not Ilk.ly to .dvoroely .re.ct lI.t.d .pecle. or crltlcal habitat. Th. Service ha. c1lllfted por'sr.ph (d)(l) to .ccommodat. the concern or the Hou.. Cqmmltt.e th.t biological .lIellmenll not be required aD malar con.truction .ctlvltle. .re.ctJns propo.ed .pecl.. or propo..d crltlcal h.bltat only. How.v.r,lf. .peete. lI.t Include. both U.ted .nd propo..d .pecle.. each mUlt b. colUlldered In the biological ......mant .. nquired by .ectlon 7(c) or-tho Act. Concerned that the Fed.rolog.ncy .bould recelv. all information during tho allellment procell. one commenler ..ked that the .peele. U.t bo deUv.red to both the F.d...1 .gency and III . d..lgnated non-Fed.rel repre..ntative due to the Illency'. re,pollllblllty to .up.rvI.e the prepa..Uon of the ' a..e..m.nt. The Service dec1llleo to Include thI. requirement In tha ruI., but will forward e copy to tho Feder.l Illency, If reque.ted. It I. the Fed.ral agency'. re,pollllbWty to decide wbether U wanll to de.lgn.t. . non- F.deral repre.ent.Uve. and'lf on. I. de.lgnat.d. the .peet.. U.t will bo oent to the representative al requested by the F.deralagency. ' Sevarel comm.nt... 'U880.t8d that th. Service'. .blllty to rer~mmend "neceIllUYOf stucUel or lurveYI would contrav.no tha "be.t avaJI.bI. .dentlfic and commercial data" .tanderd of .ectlon 7(.)(2). Th. Service agre.. that the propo.ed languoga may hav.' lniplt.d th.t .ddillonel .tudi.. or .urvey. w.re nqulred or lI8C6II8l)' to complet. th. ......ment. Therefore. the oent.nce I. chlJl88d to .tat. that the Service m.y recomm.nd .tudie. or .urv.y. th.t It boll.v.. would ...I.t In lb. preparetlon of the ......men\. A n.w ..nt.ncel. .110 .dded to clerlfy that .uch . recommend.tion 10 not to bo COlli trued .. the Service'. opinion thet th. P.d.relogency b.. faJIed to ..I\ofy th. Information .tanderd of IIlCtIcin 7(.)(2) of the Act. ThIo chanae prao..v81 th. Service'. prarog.llve 10 requ.1I furthor .tuell.. If deemed .pproprl.le. whil. recognIsIna the u1tlmele ...ponolbWty of lb. F.derel...ncy to I6CDI'8 the be.t .veiliohl. dele. Two comm.nle.. 'U8ll6Ited thet the nqU81t for .tudi.. bo limited to .tuell.. nece.oary 10 1000t. and .lMmbl. .lnt.dy .xI.1In8 dele. The 8ervlce dec1Ineo to 10 1ImJt th. ooope of .tudi.. It may nque.t. Parqraph (.) oll4lll.u 10 carried over from 14lIl.UCbX') of the propoW.