(A). If the Official Species List indicates that no listed / proposed / candidate species may occur in the action area, write "none" in the species name column in the species conclusions table (MS Word Format). Continue to Step 5. Until the proposed project is implemented, check IPaC every 90 days to ensure that listed / proposed / candidate species information for the action area is current. If any changes to the Official Species List occur, you must complete this process for any newly identified species.
(B). If the Official Species List indicates that listed / proposed / candidate species may occur in the action area, add all of the species on the list on the Official Species List to the species conclusions table (MS Word Format). Continue to Step 3.
NOTE: Proposed species are any species of fish, wildlife, or plants that is proposed in the Federal Register to be listed under section 4 of the ESA. Candidate species are species of fish, wildlife, or plants for which the Service has sufficient information to propose them as endangered or threatened under the ESA, but for which development of a proposed listing regulation is precluded by other higher priority listing activities. The Service encourages consideration of these species in the environmental review process by avoiding adverse impacts to these species. Until they are proposed for listing, candidate species are not legally protected pursuant to the ESA, therefore, any actions undertaken to avoid impacts or provide protection for these species are optional.
