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PRODUCING HIGH-QUALITY DOCUMENTS FOR ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT CONSULTATIONS Clover Clamons

ENV NRM Liaison to USFWS

Endangered Species Act (ESA) Consultation Cooperative Process

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Determine

consultation

level

Begin

document

preparation

or engage

consultant

Determine

action area

Prepare Draft

Consultation

Document

Review draft

and finalize

consultation

document

District /project

sponsor makes effect

determination

Anything beyond

no effect, engage

ENV NRM

Discuss projects, effects, and

species that may be impacted

Submit consultation document

to US Fish and Wildlife Service

Change in the

Project/Area/Impacts?

Begin again.

TxDOT’s ESA Section 7 Process SOP at: http://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/env/toolkit/310-02-sop.pdf

Endangered Species Act (ESA) Consultation Cooperative Process

3

Information

requested

from

project

team

Information

reviewed.

Documents

updated.

Provide

information to

Service

Service

reviews

information

Service reviews

document and determines

completeness

Service requests additional

information on effects, avoidance,

minimization and mitigation to agree

with effect call

Service issues concurrence

or

Biological Opinion

Project

Letting

Information requests

extend consultation

timelines and may be

repeated

TxDOT’s ESA Section 7 Process SOP at: http://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/env/toolkit/310-02-sop.pdf

Endangered Species Act (ESA) Consultation Documents

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Goal: Provide complete consultation documents and

decrease consultation timelines


Identify projects with potential ESA consultation early so consultation can be completed before letting

1) Begin with the end in mind

2) Understand how long it takes to prepare a complete consultation package and include this in your project schedule

Consultation document milestones:

• Drafting and issuing a WA for the consultation document (if needed)

• Drafting a consultation document

• Internal review of consultation document

• Submitting the consultation document

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Can you fit these in your project schedule before

letting with enough time for USFWS Review?


Consultation Timeframes

Informal consultation has no timeline, but can

be completed quickly (<30 days) with a clear,

concise, and complete consultation package

– can take longer if there are many unknowns

and may end up in formal consultation if

service cannot concur with may effect not

likely to adversely effect

Formal consultation for projects that may

effect and are likely to adversely effect (cause

take), the USFWS is required to issue a

Biological Opinion within 135 days of initiation

of formal consultation/receipt of a complete

consultation package

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The six required elements

required under 50 CFR 402.14(c)

are:

1. A description of the action to be

considered;

What is a “complete package”?

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The six required elements required

under 50 CFR 402.14(c) are:


considered;

2. A description of the specific area that

may be affected by the action;

What is a "complete package”?

9


The six required elements required

under 50 CFR 402.14(c) are:


considered;

2. A description of the specific area that

may be affected by the action;

3. A description of any listed species or

critical habitat that may be affected

by the action;


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The six required elements required under

50 CFR 402.14(c) are:

1. A description of the action to be considered;

2. A description of the specific area that may

be affected by the action;

3. A description of any listed species or critical

habitat that may be affected by the action;

4. A description of the manner in which the

action may affect any listed species or

critical habitat and an analysis of any

cumulative effects;


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The six required elements required under 50 CFR 402.14(c) are:

1. A description of the action to be considered;

2. A description of the specific area that may be affected by the action;

3. A description of any listed species or critical habitat that may be affected by the action;

4. A description of the manner in which the action may affect any listed species or critical habitat and an analysis of any cumulative effects;

5. Relevant reports (e.g., BA, EA, EIS, technical reports);

6. Any other relevant available information on the action, the affected listed species, or critical habitat.


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Why is a “complete package” so important?

Cannot start consultation without it!

Allows the Service to fully and accurately evaluate the all effects and either concur or form their biological opinion

Protects TxDOT, FHWA, and Service from legal challenges if section 7 obligations are developed based on accurate project information and best scientific and commercial data available.

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Prepping for Document Preparation?

Gather and review these…

TxDOT’s ESA handbook, BE/BA documentation standards, and ESA Section 7 Process

Current IPaC list for your project

Project information from TxDOT

USFWS concurrence documents/ biological opinions and BE/BAs for similar projects/species

Species listing, critical habitat designations, and five year reviews

Best available science and commercial data on species and the action area

http://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/env/toolkit/310-01-gui.pdf

http://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/env/toolkit/310-01-gui.pdf

http://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/env/toolkit/300-01-ds.pdf


http://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/env/toolkit/310-02-sop.pdf



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Another Option/Resource: Programmatic Consultations Complete and in use:

Red cockaded Woodpecker

Golden-cheeked Warbler

In development:

Karst Invertebrates in Bexar/Medina County

Houston Toad

Ocelot

Central Texas Salamanders

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Read to Submit Drafts for Review?

Use standard TxDOT technical report

format with BE/BA documentation

standards for required contents and

order

Number lines for easier reviews

Conduct internal QA/QC for content,

spelling, grammar, formatting, and

consistency before submitting

Provide drafts in MS Word (.docx)

and Adobe PDF (.pdf)



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Deliverables may be rejected

Multiple rounds of reviews and revisions may impact schedules

Exchange of contracts/work authorizations and deliverables is a two-way street

–TxDOT can do a better job in making the expectations and scope clear at the beginning

–Contractors can help us by asking for clarification during scoping, while developing a deliverable, and during the review process

Quality Impacts


NRM provides direct support for all Districts and ENV staff on biological and

water resource issues and their associated rules and regulations.

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Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) are also available to assist with species information and habitat identification:

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Species ENV Lead ENV Secondary District Resources

Brazos Shiners & other fishes Mark Fisher

Comal Springs invertebrates Clover Clamons Stirling Robertson

Eurycea salamanders Clover Clamons Stirling Robertson Andy Blair

East Texas plants Matt Buckingham, Jennifer Adams,

Andy Blair

Freshwater mussels Mark Fisher Clover Clamons Andy Blair

Golden-cheeked Warbler John Maresh Dennis Palafox

Houston toad Mark Fisher

Jagurandui and Ocelot John Young

Karst invertebrates Clover Clamons Stirling Robertson

Red-cockaded Woodpecker Dennis Palafox John Maresh Matt Buckingham

South Texas plants Edd Paradise, Andy Blair


Toolkits/Handbooks/Guidance on the TxDOT website:

http://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/division/environmental/compliance-

toolkits.html

– Endangered Species Act handbook

– BE/BA documentation standards

– ESA Section 7 Process

2005 FHWA Memorandum - Joint Agency Agreement

on ESA Formal Consultation:

https://www.environment.fhwa.dot.gov/legislation/other_legislation/natural

/laws_esalegalhccmem.aspx

USFWS Region 2 Library:

https://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/ElectronicLibrary_Main.cfm

Internal TxDOT NRM SharePoint Site

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Additional Resources

http://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/division/environmental/compliance-toolkits.html








Endangered Species Act (ESA) Consultation

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Clover Clamons (512) 416-2645

ENV NRM Liaison to USFWS