Chesapeake Bay Field Office Endangered Species, Partners, and Coastal Program staff also worked with the Natural Resource Conservation Service's Maryland State Office to develop a Programmatic Consultation for federally listed species that are most likely to be encountered during planning and program activities. In the consultation process, all conservation practices in Maryland were reviewed for their potential effects on identified threatened and endangered species. Determinations were made as to whether the practices were likely to have no effect, an adverse effect, or a beneficial effect, and in the cases of potential adverse effects, how those effects could be avoided. 

The purpose of the consultation was to streamline NRCS planning activities when practices could be reasonably ascertained to have no effects or wholly beneficial effects on endangered species, or when the circumstances for avoidance of adverse effects were straightforward. To facilitate use of this database, a detailed Endangered Species Act compliance guidance document was created and can be found at http://efotg.nrcs.usda.gov/treemenuFS.aspx.

For information contact:

Andy Moser

410/573-4537

andy_moser@fws.gov