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DRAFT DRAFT <br />DRAFT <br />1 <br />BACKGROUND <br />Each raptor nest, its offspring, and supporting habitats are considered important to the long-term <br />viability of raptor populations and are vulnerable to disturbance by many human activities. <br />Existing literature details site- and species-specific raptor responses to human disturbances and <br />habitat alteration. Background information on the effects of human activities on raptor life <br />history requirements can be found in Appendix D. <br />Human activities can result in disturbance to raptors and their habitats, potentially resulting in <br />population declines. It is the Service's Mitigation Policy (Fed. Reg. Vol. 46, No. 15, pp. <br />7644-7663) to "seek to mitigate losses of fish, wildlife, their habitats, and uses thereof from land <br />and water developments." Mitigation as defined [40 CFR Part 1508.20 (a-e)] by the President's <br />Council on Environmental Quality has been incorporated into the Service's Mitigation Policy to <br />sequentially include avoidance, minimization, rectification, reduction over time, and <br />compensation for negative impacts to wildlife and habitats. <br />To facilitate maintenance and enhancement for all raptor populations amid continued human <br />encroachment into their habitats, the following guidelines, developed according to the Service's <br />Mitigation Policy, provide a framework to: <br />1. Identify raptor resources potentially affected by proposed land use activities, including <br />raptor nesting, wintering, and foraging habitats. <br />2. Assess potential level of impacts (both positive and negative) to raptors and their habitats. <br />3. Protect and enhance high-valued raptor habitat components. <br />4. Provide reasonable protection for individual raptors and their nesting, winter-roosting, <br />and foraging activities. <br />5. Document changes in raptor populations in an area during and following a proposed <br />action. <br />GUIDELINES <br />NOTE: That the following guidelines following are for the Region as a whole. <br />State-specific differences resulting from topography, rates of precipitation, temperature <br />extremes, and other factors can be found in Appendix B. Specific State guidelines are the <br />same or more risk-adverse than regional guidelines. <br />Recommendations provided herein for habitat protection and nest/roost site protection are <br />intended to facilitate a consistent approach to raptor management. As stated previously, it is <br />important to also realize that these guidelines can be modified on a site-specific and <br />project-specific basis based on field observations and knowledge of local conditions. Revisions <br />to these guidelines may also occur as our knowledge of raptor ecology improves. The resulting