Consultation on Federal Activities

Consultation | Recovery | Working with Landowners
Working with States |Candidate Conservation
Project Review Requests

Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act requires all Federal agencies to consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildllife Service to ensure that actions they authorize, fund, permit or carry out are not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of listed species or adversely modify critical habitat. If an agency's action may affect a listed species or critical habitat, the agency must initiate consultation with the Fish and Wildlife Service. Section 7 also applies to private individuals when their action needs a Federal permit or funding.

Endangered Species Program biologists consulting with other agencies recommend modifications to project designs to avoid or minimize impacts to listed species. Partner agencies routinely depend upon technical expertise provided by Service biologists to help them conserve and protect species on their lands or facilities, and protect their habitat for some of the Nation’s most unique living resources.

CBFO biologists work with Federal agencies to ensure that their activities and the activities they authorize are compatible with species needs.

Here are just a few activities that CBFO biologists have completed to protect listed species:

• Review of EPA's Water Quality Standards Program for Chesapeake Bay and other watersheds
• Hampstead Bypass bog turtle (Clemmys muhlenbergii) consultation
• Delmarva fox squirrel (Sciurus niger cinereus) Conservation Bank
• National Harbor/Woodrow Wildson Bridge bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) consultation
• Little Wicomico River northeastern beach tiger beetle (Cicindela dorsalis dorsalis) consultation

Learn More:

• FWS national webpage about Consultations
• Frequently asked questions about Consultations