WSP00396 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

002394 Fed.ral ReP.I.r / Vol. 61. No. 106/ Tu..d.y. June 3. 1986 / Rul.. and R.sulatlon. 19953 I th.~ "lllf the dr.1I bloloalcal oplnlon I. nol ..turn.d \0 the Servica wlthln . ....on.bl. p.riod of tim.. th. Servica wlU IlIu. a fIn.1 bloloalcal oplnlon." th. Service qra.. th.tth. moaning of ". ....on.bl. p.riod of tim." requlr.. c1arlf1c.Uon. Th.refore. 10 accommod.t. th... comm.n II. tho Servic. now require. the P.d...1 ag.ncy to ..cure the .ppUcanl'. wriU.n COOl.ntlo an .xl.n.lon for. .pecillad tim. p.riod If the 4S-day d.adlln. I. 10 be .u.p.nd.d whil. tho draft oplnlon I. under revt.w. Uno .xleOllon I. qra.d to. th. biological oplnton will be IlIu.d within 45 day. of the conclu.lon of formal coOlull.Uon. Anoth.r comm.nt.r '"3lle.t.d thatth. Service be required to d.Uv.r III biological oplnlon wlthln th. Pederal ag.ncy'. NEPA tim.fram..o that the biological oplnlon can b. Includ.d wlthoul d.laylng the rel.a.. of tha ag.ncy'. NEPA docum.nt. Th. Servic. will .lIempllo coordlnala aU environmental review. with the . r coOlull.Uon. Howav.r. .p.clal timing .' i \,,problelILl under oth.r P.d.ral.talul... ,} '. .br failure to .nl.r Into the con.ultaUon " proce.. early In the plimnlng .tage of an .ction. II nol a juellflcaUon for allering tho required tim.fram. ..tabU.hed .: und.r the Act. U a particular P.d.ral . IgOIIC)' needa .peclal procedure. 10 , . handl. III co...ultaUon re.pomlbI11Ue.. the ServIce W'll.' the d.v.lopmenl of countolp8rt regui.Uom under 1402.04. Paragraph (g) ha. aI.o been modified 10 reflect th.1 tho Servlca. In formulating III bIological opinion. any rea.onabla and prudent altamaUv... and any ..uonabla and prudenl me..ure.. will ..... tho be.t ad.nllflc and comm.rclal data .vallabl. and will give appropriate comld.r.Uon 10 any beneficial acUolII laken by the P.deral agency or "appUcanllncludlna any .CUOIII taken prior 10 the IntUaUon of colllultoUon. Paragraph (h) of 140Z.14. whlch d.al. with the conlenll of a biological oplnlon. II adoptad with minor. I.chnlcal COf1'OctiOIll from propaud 140Z.15 (g). (h). The fInaJ rule dlallnsui.he. th.1 InfmmaUon or matarial whlch will be Included In . biological oplnton from thai whlch will be provtded with a biological opinion. The biological oplnton wIlIlnclud.: (1) . .ummary of tha lnformaUon on whlch tha opinion ta hued; (%) a d.taUed dlacuaalon of tha .frocta of the action on U.ted opecI.. or alUcal habltot and (3) tha 8erv\C&'. oplnton u 10 wh.ther tha action II likely 10 Jaopardlu tha cooUnuad .xIeleDl:e of a U.tad opeci.. or ...ullln tho daatrucllon or advane modlflr.otlon of altlcal habltot. The bloloslcal opinion will ooncIuda thai either. (1) the actloa 110 DOI1IkaJy 10 541_ IXIZ9(OIXll-WAY-I6-l3017a1) l.opardls. tho ciontlnued .x1.I.nea of I.t.d .p.oI11 or ...ult In tho d..trucllol1 or adv.r.. modlllcaUon of crlUcal habitat (. "no j.opardy" biological opinion). or (%) tho .cUon IIltkaly to !oopardlZl tho conUnu.d exl.l.nca of I.t.d .peel.. or ...ult :n the d..trucUon or .dv.r.. modl8c.llon of crtUcal habltal (. "I.op.rdy" biological opinion). U a "j.opardy" blologlc.1 opinion I. 1..II.d, the Service mu.t td.nUfy and Includ. re..onabl. .nd prudent alt.maUv... If .ny. that will avoid j.opardy .nd th.t tho P.d.ral ag.ncy or appUcant can Impl.ment. U the S.rvlce I. unable to d.v.lop ....onabl. and prud.nl allemaUv...1I wlU Indlc.t. tha~ 10 tha b..t of II. knowl.dge, th.r. .re no .uch alt.m.UvII thai would .atl.fy the .t.ndard of ..cllon 7(a){2). Paragragh (1) of 1402.14. whIch govema Inddenlal ta1dng under ..cUon 7(h)(4) of the Ac~ I. adopted e..enUally .. propo..d In 1402.19. Thl. paragraph I. Includ.d In the formal cOOllullallon .eoUon of tho final rule b.cau.. of the dlrecl rel.Uo...hlp betw.en IInal bIological nplnlo... and Ineld.nlaltake Italementa. Th. 1982 Amendmonll chllll8ed .ecUon 7(h) 10 Include provt.lolII concerning Indd.nlal lakIns of .pecl... The naw provt.lo... lncIud.d In .ecUon. 7(h)(4) and 7(0)(%) of tho Act are de.\sIl.d to re.olv. tho .ltuatlon wh... a P.d.ral agancy or an .ppUcanl ba. been advt..d, through a biological oplnton. thai tho propo..d .cUon or the adopUon of the re..onable and prudent .1t.maUv.(.), will not vtol.l. .ecUon 7(a)(%) of the Ac~ but the propa.ed action (or adopled alt.maUv.) will re,"1t In lakIns Indlvtdual. of a U.led .peel.. ineldeDtallo tho .cllon. Th. n.w provlalon .lale. th.~ If tho action compUe. with .pec1fl.d I.rm. and conditio.... the re.ulliD8lncld.ntollak. will nol be a vtolatlon of any "taking.. prohlbltlo... e.tobll.h.d by ..ctlon 4(d) or lI(a)(I) of tho Act. A. nolad In tho public commaDII. the availabl11l)' of an "lnddanlal" taking ex.mptlon through tha ...cllon 7 co...ultoUoD proce.. 110 . w.lcom. c1arlf1catloD made by the Il18Z AmaDdmenll. How.ver. many commenlan nqu..ted addiUnnal guidance on th1a .ubl.c~ and uvorall.1t thai tha propaNd rule wu cumbanom. and burd.DIOIIIe. Th. Service baU.v.. thai the 101l0wtna dlac....lon will clarify the Incldantal take provtaloo and oxpla1n the InCODUV" for compliance with _Uo... 7(a)(%) and 7(b)(4) of the AoL U an "'DC)' actloa recalve. a ''00 Jeopardy" blolotlcal oplntClll, 01' If tha P.derafagenO)ladopll any reaacnabl. PDOl.FWT _[10.80)...4-1&-8& and prud.nt~.ltamaUva provtd.dln ii' "I.opardy" blolojlcal opinion. th.n the .ctlon m.y proce.d In compliance with ..ction 7. An Incldentalt.ke .t.t.m.nt will ba provtded with the biological oplnlon wh.n the acUvtl)' m.y Ineld.ntolly lak. Individual. of a lI.t.d .p.d.. bul not .0 many.. to leopardlze th.1r conUnu.d .x1.tance. If the 'Ctlon proce.d. In compliance with the term. and condition. of the incidental take .tot.m.nt, th.n any re.ultlng Incldantal laklna. are .xempl from the prohlblllon. of ..ctlon 4(d) or g 01 tho Act. No p.nnlt I. required of the Paderal ag.ncy or any applicant In carryins oulth. action. .. on. comm.nl.r cont.nd.d. The biological oplnlon. plue the incidental take .tatement. operate BI an exemption Wld.r ..ctlon 7(0)(%) of the Act. How.v.r. thJ. ex.mpllon I. Umtted to .ctlon. tak.n by tho Ped.ral agancy or appllcanl thai comply with tho tonne and conditio... .p.elfI.d In the Incld.ntol take .tol.ment. Compliance with th... tarma and condltloDl Ie mandalory to qualify for the exempUon from ..ctlon 4(d) or 9 of tho AuL "Actio... thai are nolln compliance with tho .pec1fl.d maa.ur.. . . . remain .ubl.cllo tho problblllon aglln.t taking. thai I. conlaln.d In .ectlon g." S. R.p. No. 418, 87th Cong.. Zd Sell. Z1 (1982). Therefore. the Service cannol make th..e I.rma d1acrellonary. .. W'lled by ODe commenter. Paregraph (1)(1) .tot.. tha~ where Incld.DtaI taking. m.y occur. the Service will provtda with the bIological , opinion 10 the F.d.r.1 agency and appllcanl a wriUen .Ial.m.nl that: (I) .peclfl.. tho ImpacL i.... amoWlI or .xlen~ ol.uch antlelpat.d Inddental lake of tho .peele. thai d... not vtolale ..ctlon 7(a)(2), (U) .peciII.. thou re..onabl. and prud.nl m...ure. nece..ary or appropriate to mlnlml" .uch Impac~ (111) .ell forth tha tenne and conditio.... including. bul not Umtl.d 10. repartlns nqulrem.nll, that muel ba compll.d with by tho Paderal ag.ncy or any appllcanlln ord.r 10 Impl.menl the rea.on.ble and prudenl m...ure. .paclfl.d UDder (U) abov., and (Iv) .pec1fl.. the procedure. 10 be u.ed 10 handl. or dI.poa. of any Indlvtdual. of a .pad.. actually laken. Several comm.nta were rec.lved on th... .Iammta of the Inddeotal take .tolement. Becauae. lD IOme ca.... exact numartca1 UmIta 00 tho amounl of parmlulblelnddental taJdns w\l1 be d1flIculllo delarmln., the 8erv\ce may, In .ocordanoe with (1)(IIlI). .pecIfy tho axlaDl of anticipated take thai w\l1 nol vtolala lICltIon 7(aXZ) of the AcI. The Impaot of a putIcu1ar acti... may only I \ .I .. . -~.."