Alabama Ecological Services Field Station
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Endangered Species Consultation
Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act

Pre-Coordinated Activities

Federal agencies that administer grants, loans, lands, and/or permits are required to meet the coordination and consultation requirements of various Federal environmental laws.  Included are the Endangered Species Act and Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, which often require direct coordination with the Fish and Wildlife Service.  In response to coordination and consultation requests, the Service evaluates the potential for Federally funded activities to impact endangered species and other public trust resources, particularly wetlands, streams, and migratory birds.  Although the administering Federal agency is ultimately responsible for the content, effects determination, and effective outcome of such coordination, there are provisions for delegation of much of this responsibility to grant and loan applicants and their consultants.  Indeed, this responsibility is routinely delegated to applicants as a matter of expediency.  As a grant or loan applicant, you have likely been given written guidance to contact the Service and provide information regarding the location and nature of activities proposed.  This requires the submittal of project location maps and design/construction details to our office, and receipt of our response prior to submittal of a complete application to the lead Federal agency.

We have long recognized that certain categories of work result in no or insignificant adverse impacts to fish and wildlife resources.  Coordination of such activities with the Service results in an unnecessary burden on applicants, and provides little or no additional benefit to fish and wildlife or their habitats. For this reason, the Service has worked with several funding agencies to complete blanket consultations and programmatic coordination for applicable work categories that fulfill both Federal agency and applicant responsibilities pursuant to the Endangered Species Act and Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act. This coordination and consultation is outlined in blanket clearance letters that are specific to each agency and the categories of work that are routinely funded.

Copies of these letters are attached below for your use.  If all of your proposed work falls within the scope of one of these blanket concurrences, you do not need to contact us. Simply place a copy of the downloaded clearance letter in your application packet.

Blanket Clearance Letter -- HUD

Blanket Clearance Letter -- FEMA (storm shelters and safe rooms)

Blanket Clearance Letter -- FEMA (storm sirens)

Not all activities requiring Federal grants or loans are covered by a blanket consultation. Please be aware that consultation and coordination is intended only for proposed activities.  By regulation, consultation for activities which have already been completed (e.g., requests for reimbursement of expenditures already made) cannot ordinarily be conducted, except in case of emergencies where action was immediately needed to prevent loss of life.  We strongly suggest that you coordinate all activities that you suspect might be the subject of future requests for reimbursement prior to construction (e.g., FEMA Flood Hazard Mitigation Funds).

 

Additional Information and Helpful Websites

 
Last updated: October 6, 2008