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To ensure that a proposed federal action is compliant with the requirements of the Endangered Species Act and meets WSDOT Biological Assessment (BA) standards, a process of environmental evaluation, documentation, and review has been developed by WSDOT.
In June 2006, WSDOT began a qualification program for consultants who prepare biological assessments for the agency. The program involves attendance at required seminars, passing an examination, and meeting biological assessment quality standards defined by WSDOT.
WSDOT's BA development and consultation process can be divided into six general phases:
The Endangered Species Act requires preparation of a BA for any major construction project with a federal nexus. WSDOT has developed specific standards and guidance on content of Biological Assessments prepared for the agency.
WSDOT, in conjunction with USFWS, NMFS and FHWA, routinely develops guidance documents and protocols for addressing certain topics in Biological Assessments. The BA Guidance page provides a localized site to find all current and updated guidance documents on subjects such as stormwater, noise assessments and indirect effects and the WSDOT BA Preparation for Transportation Projects Manual.
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Several protocols and templates are available to standardize elements of the consultation and are required as appendices within Biological Assessments for WSDOT projects.
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Species List/ESA Listing InformationESA Listing Updates (pdf 84 kb) contains updated information on listing and delisting proposals, status of proposed critical habitat and protective regulations, 90-day petition findings and species undergoing 12-month status reviews for Washington State.
Eulachon Designated Critical Habitat. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) issued a final rule to designate critical habitat for the southern Distinct Population Segment (DPS) of Pacific eulachon (Thaleichthys pacificus) on October 20, 2011 (50 CFR 65324-65352). Ten critical habitat areas were designated in Washington State, with most being tributaries of the Columbia River. Information was also provided on the physical and biological features that are essential to the conservation of the species including freshwater spawning and incubation sites with water flow, freshwater and estuarine migration corridors, and nearshore and offshore marine foraging habitat. The final rule will take effect on December 19, 2011
Wolverine - On December 14, 2010, the USFWS announced that the proposed listing of the North American wolverine (Gulo gulo luscus) in the contiguous U.S. as an endangered or threatened species was warranted, but precluded by higher priority actions. The finding designated the wolverine population in the lower 48 states as a candidate species under the Endangered Species Act. There are an estimated 250-300 wolverine left in the North Cascades of Washington and possibly Oregon, the northern Rocky Mountains of Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana, the southern Rocky Mountains of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming, and the Sierra Nevada of California.
Change in ESA Status of Northern Rocky Mountain Wolf DPS – The Northern Rocky Mountain wolf DPS had previously been listed as endangered in Washington under the Endangered Species Act. On May 5, 2011, Northern DPS wolves in Washington, Montana, Utah, and Idaho were delisted by legislative action and are no longer protected by the ESA. Northern DPS wolves in Washington include all animals east of the centerline of Highway 97 and Highway 17 north of Mesa, and that portion of Washington east of the centerline of Highway 395 south of Mesa. All other wolves in Washington remain federally endangered, and a status review is being conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. All wolves in Washington remain state endangered. See U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for more informaiton.
Georgia Basin/Puget Sound Rockfish Distinct Population Segments - On April 28, 2010, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) listed three rockfish under the Endangered Species Act. The Georgia Basin Distinct Population Segment (DPS) of bocaccio was listed as an endangered species, and the Georgia Basin DPS’s of yelloweye rockfish and canary rockfish as threatened species. The Georgia Basin DPS boundaries refers to all of Puget Sound, including the area around the San Juan Islands and the Strait of Georgia north to the mouth of the Campbell River in British Columbia. The western boundary of the DPS runs along the Victoria sill from east of Port Angeles to Victoria across the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Change in status of the Loggerhead Sea Turtle. On September 22, 2011, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service (Services) issued a final rule on the Endangered Species Act (ESA) listing of the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta). The Services determined that there were nine loggerhead distinct population segments (DPSs), and five were listed as endangered, and four as threatened. The Services had previously listed the species as threatened wherever it was found. The North Pacific DPS includes marine waters off of Washington State and turtles in this DPS were listed as endangered. Loggerhead sea turtles do not breed in Washington.
Pacific Eulachon (Columbia River Smelt) - On March 16, 2010, the National Marine Fisheries Service announced the final listing of Pacific eulachon (smelt) as a threatened species. The listing will become effective 60 days from publication on May 17, 2010.
Delisting of Bald Eagle - August 8, 2007 - The bald eagle is still protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (Eagle Act) and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
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