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Consultation
Section 7 Consultation
Federal agencies consult with us to avoid Jeopardizing the existence of listed species or their Critical Habitat, which would violate the Endangered Species Act. These consultations are conducted under section 7 of the Act.
Non-Federal Applicants
Non-Federal parties, including individuals, cannot consult directly under section 7. However, there are many ways to make a "nexus" between a non-Federal project and a Federal agency. This allows non-Federal parties to consult indirectly through that agency.
If you request a permit or funding from a Federal agency for a project that could affect listed species, then the agency would consult with us about your project. Examples include: Federal water serves the property, Federal highway funds are used, or a Federal wetlands (Corps of Engineers) permit is needed.
Habitat Conservation Plans
If you have a project that may adversely affect listed species, but no Federal agency is involved in the process, then you may need to develop a Habitat Conservation Plan (PDF). This is generally a longer, more comprehensive process.
Formal vs. Informal Consultation
If a Federal agency believes that a project may Adversely Affect a listed species, it requests a Formal Consultation. If the agency believes that the project may affect the species, but not adversely, it asks for an Informal Consultation.
In a formal consultation, the action agency asks us to concur that that their project will not Jeopardize the species.
In an informal consultation, the action agency asks us to concur that that their project is Not Likely to Adversely Affect the species.
Programmatic Consultation
When possible, we do a Programmatic Consultation that address many small projects.
Biological Opinions
After we do a formal consultation, we write a Biological Opinion. This is our determination about whether a listed species will be jeopardized or critical habitat adversely modified. It is the basis for actions that need to be taken to minimize impact to the species.
Contact Us
Four geographic branches of our office do section 7 consultations.
Find the appropriate branch for your project on our Contact Number page or call our main number:
(916) 414-6600
Fact Sheets
Consultation Handbook - Our manual for doing consultations.
Last updated: January 11, 2008
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