THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES IN THE MARINE REALM

Transcription

1 THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES IN THE MARINE REALM 30th Annual Envirnmental Permitting Summer Schl, Orland, Flrida Tri White Deputy, Regulatry Divisin Jacksnville District U.S. Army Crps f Engineers July 20, 2016 Trusted Partners Delivering Value, Tday and Tmrrw US Army Crps f Engineers CHARLESTON JACKSONVILLE MOBILE SAVANNAH WILMINGTON

2 Tpics Endangered Species Act Types f cnsultatins Effect determinatins Prgrammatic Tls Cnsultatins

3 1973 Endangered Species Act Allws prtectin fr species and their habitats Gives jint authrity t Fish and Wildlife Service and Natinal Marine Fisheries Service (Services) 3

4 Endangered Species Act 1973 Sectin 7 requires that all federal agencies ensure that any actin they authrize, fund r carry ut is nt likely t jepardize the cntinued existence f any listed species r result in the destructin r adverse mdificatin f critical habitat

5 Types f Cnsultatins Early Emergency Cnference Infrmal Frmal USACE makes Effect Determinatin and initiates cnsultatin with the Service

6 Effect Determinatins N effect N expsure t the envirnmental impacts resulting frm the actin r neither the species r Designated Critical Habitat (DCH) will respnd in any manner (behaviral, physilgical, chemical) upn expsure t the actin Difficult t achieve, especially with in-water wrk N cnsultatin required Nt likely t adversely affect Effects n species beneficial, discuntable, insignificant Infrmal cnsultatin May affect If incidental take is expected the actin is adverse Frmal cnsultatin; requires bilgical pinin 6

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8 NMFS Sectin 7 Checklist Use mst recent versin (September 15, 2015) Send Crps editable versin (i.e. d nt scan r print) Statement f cmpliance r statement applicant is nt willing t mdify prject t cmply Cmplete all parts f the questin. Fr example: h"p://ser.nmfs.naa.gv/prtected_resurces/ sec6n_7/cnsulta6n_submi"al/index.html

9 Prgrammatic Keys Manatee, wd strk, Jhnsn seagrass Pay extra attentin t the definitins, ftntes and the scpe f the Key May require a fraging analysis r survey; submit with the applicatin t save time Typically have prgrammatic cncurrence s n need t crdinate; it s already dne!

10 Prgrammatic Bilgical Opinins (BO) Cnsiders a defined actin s effect n a defined list f species Includes terms and cnditins and parameters fr reinitiating cnsultatin Prject must meet specific terms and cnditins Requires a secnd-tier review including a 10- day cmment perid

11 Prgrammatic BOs 1997 NMFS Suth Atlantic Reginal Bilgical Opinin (SARBO) NMFS Gulf Reginal Bilgical Opinin (GRBO) 2011 FWS Sand Placement BO 2012 NMFS (12) SAJ Reginal General Permits (12 SAJ) 2013 FWS Piping Plver BO 2015 Statewide Prgrammatic BO (SWPBO)

12 SWPBO Cvered Activities 1. Shreline stabilizatin 2. Pile-supprted structures 3. Maintenance and minr dredging 4. Recnfiguratin and repair f dcking facilities within a marina 5. Outfall structures 6. Scientific survey devices 7. Bat ramps 8. Aquatic habitat enhancement and restratin activities 9. Aerial and subaqueus utility and transmissin lines 10. Marine debris remval 11. Temprary platfrms, access fill, and cfferdams

13 SWPBO - What s included? Prject Design Criteria (PDC) All prjects Prject specific Critical Habitat (CH) specific PDCs are special cnditins f permit Nise BMPs Metal pilings/sheet piles by impact hammer nt authrized. If 5 r mre cncrete pilings a day using impact hammer in cnfined space, must use nise abatement measures.

14 SWPBO - What s excluded? Nt used fr Reginal/Prgrammatic General Permits with their wn Prgrammatic Cnsultatin Exclusin Areas: Smalltth sawfish exclusin znes. Muth f Gulf sturgen spawning rivers. Structures within the bundaries f nearshre reprductive habitat f lggerhead critical habitat. Exceptins t Exclusins Areas Marine debris remval Scientific survey devices Aquatic habitat enhancement/restratin Other activity specific exclusins may apply

15 Prject Design Criteria NMFS Sea Turtle & Smalltth Sawfish Cnstructin Cnditins Vessels cannt be clser than 500 yards f a right whale Turbidity cntrl measures Exclusin areas Reprting f cllisins with listed species In-water rpe r chains that d nt lp r tangle Best Management Practices Prir apprval frm Sanctuary All wrk during daylight hurs

16 SWPBO Cnsultatins 254 pending infrmal cnsultatins when SWPBO was finalized 142 cnsultatins withdrawn and pulled under SWPBO +178 new cnsultatins under SWPBO 120 pending infrmal cnsultatins that d nt qualify fr SWPBO

17 NMFS Pilt Prgram NMFS HQ has pushed ut a 1-year pilt prgram fr infrmal cnsultatins frm Feb 2016 thrugh Feb 2017 Minimal effects t listed species and DCH Rutine and nn-cntrversial Cvered in prir BO Lw litigatin risk Expedited cnsultatin

18 NMFS Pilt Prgram Requires an adequate descriptin f the prpsed actin Requires an adequate descriptin f the actin area Identificatin f each species and/r DCH affected by the actin Certificatin the best scientific and cmmercial data available was used

19 NMFS Pilt Prgram Participating Offices: Palm Beach Gardens, Ft. Myers, Panama City, Antilles Cnsultatin status (ver 4 mnths) 21 cnsultatins cmpleted 9 cnsultatin pending 5 cnsultatins withdrawn 48 day average time, as ppsed t 225 days

20 What s next? JAXBO Cnslidates and addresses Sectin 7 ESA Cnsultatin Requirements with NMFS fr certain activities Minr activities wuld predminantly result in NLAA A cuple specific activities wuld result in MA remval f Jhnsn seagrass adverse affect t smalltth sawfish DCH Designed t cmplete cnsultatin requirements (NMFS cncurrence) in 10-days Prvides mre flexibility fr PDCs Imprves checklist Ptential fr integrated cnsultatin under MSFCMA

21 Questins? 21