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032389 ll11K8 Fed...1 Regi.t.r / Vol. 51. No. 106 / Tue.dey. June J. 1986 / Rule. end Regulation. tho explr.tion o( the 11lO-d.y 11m. period. However. the Service decline. to require 8. written noUce If en applicant h not Involved In the con.ult.tion. b.cau.e re.pon.lblllty (or the preparation and completion of the ~iolo8lcal aUBllment re.t. with the ~.deral 'gency. Th. Service will defer to the nelld. lInd Judgment of the federal Bgency which can document the extenlion In ils adminiltraUve record. Another commenter 8llxad that the Service explain that the 18(k!ay lime period b'gin. on the date o( recelpl o( Ihe .pecie. lI.t (or the dale o( receIpt o( the Director', conCWTence with the Federal agency .pecle. lI.t). Thl. change hal been made .lnee It clarifies when the time period begin. and I, conaistent with the intent of thb paragrapb. A. noted .bove. I( an applicant I. involved. the l8O-day period may not be extended uruel. the agency provides the applicen~ before the c1o.e o( the llJO. day period. with a written statement .etting (orth the e.timated length o( the proposed extension and Lhe reasons why an exten.icm i. neceuary. The &pplicanl ha; no remedy 10 expedite the ~ ~rl. preparation of the biologicalalSessmenl ,', "j.:u'lder .ection 7(c] o( the Act. Thu., the , . lllO-day time period to .ubfect to an indefinite exten.ion at the Federal agency'. preiogative. The Service lack. ""'Statutory authority to impose an appeal process 10 review extensions. as requelted by two commentera. Par.graph [j) o( 1402.12. which requlrf!s the lubmission of completed biological assessmentl 10 the Director Cor review. is adopted from proposed t402.1Z(b](4)(iii].ln re.pon.e to two cammentl. the Director will make 8 wrillen ~.pon.e within 30 days after receivfna the compJete BlIsellment as to whether, or not the Service concurs with Ihe findings in the asseasment. This ch.nge provide. Federal agencies with . WI i lien record acknowledging the Service's receipt o( the biologtcal allel8me'll and indicating Ihe result. of Ihe Service'. review, " A new lentence ls added 10 this paragraph to clarify th.1 the Federel agency m.y Initiate (orm.1 con.ult.tion concurrently with the .ubml..lun of the alle..men! to the Director, In re.pon.e to one comment. the Ser...ice decline. to .ub.titute "Service" (or "Oirector" tn this porasr.ph. It I. important thet the Director or hi. .uthori.ed repre..ntallve dJrectly receive the biological ...essment for review 10 that. timely review can be f.cilitated. Par.....ph (It) o( t40Z.12. lIOvernlng the ute o( . compl.ted hlologtcol ......men~ I. derived from t40Z.IZ(b)(7) of the propooed role. Once ~ OO14(OIXJ 1-IoIA Y -16-1J,27D7) the blolOflcol ......m.nt h.. b.en completed, the F.d.ral .sency mu.t consider whether formal conlultation .hould be IniU.ted or 1(. conf.rence I. necell.ry. Thrse commentera noted thllt . writl.n notice o( concurrence .hould be I..ued by tho Olrector If the Service .gree. with tho F.der.1 .gency'. finding lhat it. .ctlnn I. not IlIcely 10 adversely affect 1I.1ed .pecie. or crltlcol habital (i.... the Servlc. concun In wrltlng th.t (orm.1 con.ullation I. not needed). Thl. comment h.. b.en accommodaled by appropriate change. to paregraph. Ul and (k). Th. propoeed 1402.12(b)(51. "Auiltance from other .ouree.... h8s not been Included In the biological 8asellment .ection of the finsl ru.lel. The .ub.t.nce of Ihi. parasraph ha. been Included In the fInal t 402.08 de.11ng with de.lgnated non-Federal repre.entatlves. The first two senlences have heen deleted elnce a Federal agency may obtain aulstance from any source to aid in the preparation of a biologicalsslle..ment (or other alpect of con.ultation), and It doe. not need 10 be authori.ed in theae regulation.. On, commenter sugge.ted that the Service be included as a souree of information: however. 8111istance from the Service il already included In appropriate .ectione o( the regulation.. Section 402.13 InfonnaJ Consultation, Informal consultation is an optional procedure that include. all contact. between the Service and the Feder.1 agency or the de.fsnated non-Federal representative prior to Cormal consultation, i( required. It i. de.igned primarily to except from the (ormal coneultation proce.. those propo.ed actions whJch. upon further informal review, are found not lIIcely to adversely affect a lieted .peeJe. or critical habitat. If the Service concure with .uch a determination. Cormal con.ultatlon II not required. The ftrial role I. edopted la'llely by comb\h1ng propo.ed 11402.12(a). 402:15(c). and 402.15(1)(1), into one compostte .tatement of the purpose and .cope of lnform.1 consultation. Several commenten dlsqreed on the .cope o( Informal conoultation. One comm.nter (elt that Informal conoultatlon .hould Include aU d1a1oaue between tha Servlce. the Federel agency. and any de'lan.ted non-Federal repre.entetive In determ1nlng whether (onDJ1l con.ultaUon I. required. Another commenter recommended that Wormal conoult.tion be avell.bl. If lI.ted species... (ound in the .ctlon ..... Th. Service bell.ve. th.t lnform.1 con.ultAtion eDcomp...e. all of these communlco tiono between th. Servlce. F 4701.FMT...[1Il.3OJ ...4-1s-a6 , the F.der.1 ....ncy. and the deo!inated non-Federlll repreHntatlve. .. well .. others. ns Servlce 10 .v.llabl. (or lnform.1 bonoull.tion .t any time; tho decl.lon on whether to _k Informal con.ull.lion I. that of tho Fod....1 .g.ncy. Th. Servlce .gre... that, If reque.ted .. . part of Informal con.ultation. It .hould portlclp.te in NEPA ocoplng me.tings. The Servlce decline. to .peclfy unlform level. o( contacl that must be (ollowed In conductlng Informal con.ultatjon.. Ext.tlng relatiorubip. between the Servlce:. field or regional office. end portlcular Fedaral agencle. mandate ;naxlmum OexlblUty. The pre.ent .y.tem i. working weU and efficiently addre..e. the needa o( other Feder.l agencle., and it 10 therefore retained. Because Informal coDlultation 10 an optional proce.. thet 10 under the control o( the Federal agency .. to It. lnltiation and duration. tha Service decline. to require noticeo"of InItiation and/or termination. Such. .tep would merely place paperwork burdeno on the Federal agency In an otherwt.e voluntary proce... A. noted In 1402.12. blolllglcal 8ssessmeDu are reqJJ.ired for major con.truction actlvltie.. To c10rily a prxedural poin~ the Service notes that the biological ......ment ~.. may be conducted .lmultaneously with Informal coooultation If d"~ by the Federal agency, or \be Federal agency may chOOI8 10 undertake the bIological Bue..ment wfthout-:.any lnlormal consultation. Whether or Dot'. biological ...e..ment fa reqi1lred, \be Federal agency may chOOO8 to enter Into Informal toooultation. .' In re.poooe to meny coll1D\8nla, the Service b.. m.da numerous edjuatmenfa throushout the.. ..tiono to ellmlnate referenceo to Infomial conoultation.. e prerequl.lte;to formal con.ultation. The Service osntU thet .uch a proces. would not be worbble. both .. e re.ult of limited conauliation re.ouree. and the need to re.poet Federal agency program dJocretlcm. A1J previously noted. the propoaed rule required (ormal coDlultation If the action "m.y .dversely effect" llatod .pecl81 or critical h.bltaL "BenellclaJ" actiooo were excuoad from formal conoultation II the ServIce concurred durtna tho mand.tory Infonnal . con.ultation. Since Informal conoullotion h.. bean m.da .trtctJy on optional proce.. In thJo IInal rule. tho Servlce retalna. from th. 1978 role. the "may .lfeet" lrla8er for (ormaI conaultatlon In 1~1C of the IInal rule.