Endangered Species

Overview

Federally Protected Species Overview

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) requires that endangered species be protected at the individual level and describes a “take” as any action that will “harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or attempt to engage in any such conduct”.

In the context of the ESA, current U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regulations define “harm” as “an act which actually kills or injures wildlife. Such acts may include significant habitat modification or degradation where it actually kills or injures wildlife by significantly impairing essential behavior patterns, including breeding, feeding, or sheltering”.

Mexican Spotted Owl
The Mexican spotted owl (Strix occidentalis lucida) was listed as “threatened” under the ESA in 1993. At LANL there are presently five areas of environmental interest (AEIs) comprised of Mexican spotted owl habitat and these AEIs are managed at LANL with a comprehensive Habitat Management Plan (HMP).

Southwestern Willow Flycatcher
The southwestern willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus) was listed as “endangered” under the ESA in 1995. At LANL there are presently two AEIs comprised of southwestern willow flycatcher habitat and these AEIs are also managed under the HMP.

Management Document

Habitat Management Plan

The Habitat Management Plan (HMP) is a comprehensive site-wide management plan to address management of federally protected species that was prepared by LANL and approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in 1999. The plan details how threatened and endangered (T&E) species and their habitats are managed at LANL. Included in the plan are specific work controls for any LANL activities that occur in or near T&E species habitat.

Biological Assessments
If a project cannot follow the requirements in the HMP then a Biological Assessment (BA) is prepared. A BA is a formal assessment that is performed by LANL biologists to analyze what level of impact will occur to a T&E species or its habitat from an action.

The BA will go through either informal or formal consultations with the USFWS and required project-specific work controls will be prepared based on the analysis done in the BA.

The cost and scheduling requirements to prepare a BA can negatively affect a project; therefore, we encourage small changes to scope that will allow a project to work within the existing work controls in the HMP where ever possible.

Work Controls

Work Controls for Federally Threatened or Endangered Species

The Habitat Management Plan contains specific work controls for any LANL activity that occurs in or near T&E species habitat.