NMFS Southwest
Region Field Office - Santa Rosa
The National Marine Fisheries Service, Southwest Region
maintains field offices in Santa Rosa, Arcata, and Sacramento, California. These northern
area offices are concerned with habitat and protected fish species issues north of Santa
Barbara County. The Santa Rosa office houses three divisions: Protected Resources, Habitat
Conservation, and Sustainable Fisheries.
Address: NMFS
Attn: PRD Division
777 Sonoma Ave Rm 325
Santa Rosa Ca 95404
(707) 575-6050; Fax (707) 578-3435
Protected Resources Division
Located in Santa Rosa, California, the Protected Resources Division (PRD), Santa Rosa
Field Office (SRFO) is responsible for the administration of programs, laws, and acts that
promote and support conservation, protection, and recovery of salmonid resources in
Central California. The SRFO's primary emphasis is the administration of the Endangered
Species Act (ESA) with a specific emphasis on listed salmonids. Currently, listed
salmonids include Coho and Chinook Salmon, and Steelhead Trout. Other programs
administered by the Division include the Marine Mammal Protection Act, Clean Water Act,
Federal Power Act, Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, and the Magnuson-Stevens Act.
Organization and Structure
The SRFO area of responsibility is from Mendocino County in the north to San Luis
Obispo County in the south, including San Francisco Bay and inland to the Carquinez
Straight Bridge. The Division is organized into three geographic teams:
- North Coast Team - Mendocino, Sonoma, Marin Counties.
- San Francisco Bay Team - S.F. Bay and interior drainages
- South Coast Team - San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Luis Obispo
Counties
Responsibilities
As a result of the ESA salmonid listings, the SRFO focuses heavily on sections 7 and 10
of the ESA. The SRFO is also engaged in providing technical assistance to State agencies,
county and local government, and private landowners on issues ranging from forestry to
county and city land use practices and ordinances that affect salmonid habitat. The Office
also provides education and outreach to stakeholders, organizations, or watershed groups
who are interested in developing conservation strategies for listed salmonids.
Section 7 Consultations
Federal Agencies who permit, or conduct an activity that affects listed salmonids are
required to conduct and ESA section 7 consultation with NMFS. The primary Federal agencies
NMFS consults with are the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Federal Highways Administration, and the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Examples of projects where a Federal nexus triggers
a consultation are: bank stabilization projects, dredging, gravel mining, restoration
projects, water diversion projects, dam operations, timber harvest and grazing on federal
land.
Section 10 Habitat Conservation Plans
Private landowners who seek ESA compliance for the conduct of lawful activities on
their property have the ability to cooperatively work with NMFS to develop a Habitat
Conservation Plan (HCP) which provides for issuance of a section 10(a)(1)(B) incidental
take permit. The NMFS strongly supports the concept of HCPs program, and is specifically
interested in developing HCPs at the largest geographic scale possible. NMFS can develop
HCPs with single, large landowners, multiple owners within a watershed, or counties. The
HCP program seeks to develop a long-term conservation strategy for salmonids that is
balanced with the economic interests and rights of landowners.
Section 10 Scientific Research Permits
The SRFO also supports the Southwest Region's Research and Permit Program for listed
salmonids. Research and/or the propagation of listed salmonids cannot be conducted without
NMFS authorization. These activities can be authorized through submission of an
application to NMFS for a Section 10(a)(1)(A) permit. For information on research and
enhancement permits call, or write the SRFO, Attn: Scientific Permits
Recovery Planning
The Southwest Region has initiated recovery planning within the Central California
Coast planning area. Recovery Planning will address Coho and Chinook Salmon and steelhead
trout simultaneously. Recovery Planning will be developed and conducted in two phases.
Phase I will be the formation of a science-based Technical Recovery Team whose primary
responsibility will be to develop biological goals and objectives, and the criteria by
which salmonids would be de-listed. Phase II will be the implementation of Phase I
objectives and will provide for the inclusion of individuals, stakeholders, and
organizations.
- Central California Coast Recovery Plan Coordinator
Questions related to Southwest Region recovery policy and planning should be directed
to the Recovery Coordinator. For more information on recovery planning go to http://www.nwfsc.noaa.gov/, and click on recovery
planning.
For more information on west coast ESA listed salmonids, Federal Register Notices,
rules , and maps go to http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/.
|