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Effective Date: 3/11/94

Series: Organization

Part 142: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Chapter 5: Assistant Director - Ecological Services

Originating Office: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

5.1 Assistant Director - Ecological Services provides staff support to the Director on Service responsibilities in the following areas: wetland and upland habitat enhancement, protection, restoration, and conservation; endangered and threatened species listing, consultation, and recovery; environmental contaminants; and wetland mapping.

The statutory basis for these activities comes primarily from the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956, the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Water Act, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the Coastal Barrier Resources Act, and the Emergency Wetland Resources Act of 1986.

A. The Division of Habitat Conservation provides staff support to the Assistant Director on activities associated with: wetland and upland habitat enhancement, protection, restoration, and conservation; consultation; and wetlands mapping. Carries out activities necessary for the Assistant Director to meet staff responsibilities to the Director. Operational areas requiring staff support include: wildlife mitigation; habitat evaluation procedures; Federal water resource development related permit elevations and interventions; budget workload estimates; Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act report preparation; and Servicewide National Environmental Policy Act compliance and document review coordination.

B. The Division of Environmental Contaminants, through the Assistant Director - Ecological Services, provides staff support to the Director, as well as technical support to the Regions, on activities that protect environmental quality, especially in matters involving environmental contaminants. Staff support is provided in the following operational areas: compliance with contaminant laws on Service lands and facilities, including required cleanups; identification and assessment of potential contaminant problems on lands proposed for Service acquisition; contaminant identification and assessment on and off Service lands, including monitoring and investigation of toxic chemical effects on Service trust resources; evaluation of hazardous materials disposal and sites; oil spill and toxic substance release response; damage assessment and resource restoration; pesticide use consultations; project, permit, and areawide plan reviews and resolution of adverse effects; wildlife, water quality and sediment criteria development; point and non-point source pollution assessment and control; and assessment of effects associated with atmospheric deposition of toxic chemicals and acid precipitation on inland and coastal ecosystems.

C. The Division of Endangered Species provides staff support to the Assistant Director on activities associated with endangered and threatened species listing and recovery. Carries out activities necessary for the Assistant Director to meet staff responsibilities to the Director. Operational areas requiring staff support include: endangered species listing and recovery actions; budget workload estimates; Endangered Species Act report preparation; consultation; and National Environmental Policy Act compliance for Service actions under the Endangered Species program.

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3/11/94 #3404

Replaces 3/11/94 #3000