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ESA Programmatic Consultations

The purpose of a programmatic consultation is to streamline the Section 7 consultation process for a category or categories of activities which occur frequently, thereby reducing the number of individual consultations for each of these actions.  This streamlining then reduces the Corps’ permit processing time for these actions that require ESA consultation. 

Currently, the Walla Walla District Regulatory Division has completed four programmatic consultations under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA).  The first of these programmatic consultations is for certain categories of projects located on Bureau of Land Management or Forest Service lands.  The second programmatic is specific to the State of Idaho Transportation Department projects.  The third programmatic is for Standard Local Operating Procedures for Endnagered Species (SLOPES) for Nationwide Permits in Northern Idaho, Western Montana and Northeast Washington.  The fourth programmatic consulation is for actions funded under Bonneville Power Administrations Habitat Improvement Program III (HIP III). 

For more information on the Walla Walla District Regulatory Division’s programmatic consultations, please contact your local Corps Field Office.

  

Programmatic Consultations Currenlty in Effect

Collapse All Expand All
Click here to expand contentClick here to collapse content  BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINSTRATION:  Habitat Improvement Program III (HIPIII)

In March 2013, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) issued their Biological Opinion for the Bonneville Power Administration’s (BPA) “Habitat Improvement Program III” (HIP III) programmatic consultation. 

This consultation covers actions funded under BPA’s HIP III program within the Columbia River Basin waters, Oregon Coast tributaries north of Cape Blanco and land under the jurisdiction of the Pacific Northwest Power and Conservation Council’s (NWPCC) Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program Portland District located in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. 

The following categories of activities are covered by this programmatic consultation:
     - Fish Passage Restoration
     - River, Stream, Floodplain and Wetland Restoration
     - Invasive and Non-native Plant Control
     - Piling Removal
     - Road and Trail Erosion Control, Maintenance and Decommissioning
     - In-channel Nutrient Enhancement
     - Irrigation and Water Delivery/Management Actions
     - Fisheries, Hydrologic and Geomorphologic Surveys

This programmatic may only be used for projects funded under the BPA’s Habitat Improvement Program III.

NMFS Cover Letter
NMFS March 22, 2013 Biological Opinion 

USFWS Nov. 8, 2013 Biological Opinion (page 1-120)
USFWS Nov. 8, 2013 Biological Opinion (page 121-248)
USFWS Nov. 8, 2013 Biological Opinion (page 249-360)

Click here to expand contentClick here to collapse content  BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT / FOREST SERVICE
In June 2012, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) issued their Biological Opinions for the “Restoration Activities at Stream Crossings on National Forests and Bureau of Land Management Public Lands in Idaho” programmatic consultation.

USFWS Cover Letter 
USFWS June 15, 2012 Biological Opinion (pages 1-41)
USFWS June 15, 2012 Biological Opinion (pages 42-86)

NMFS Cover Letter
NMFS June 4, 2012 Biological Opinion (pages 1-37)
NMFS June 4, 2012 Biological Opinion (pages 38-82)
NMFS June 4, 2012 Biological Opinion (pages 83-112 and Appendix A-C)

This programmatic consultation was the result of coordination between the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service and the Corps of Engineers.

The following categories of activities are covered by this programmatic consultation:

  • Culvert Removal and Associated Channel Rehabilitation
  • Culvert, Bridge or Ford Replacement with a Bridge
  • Culvert or Ford Replacement with a Culvert or Open-Bottomed Arch
  • Culvert Replacement with Low-Water Trail Ford
  • Programmatic Project Maintenance
  • Road & Trail Relocation and Decommissioning Related to Crossing Replacement
  • Bridge Construction on Migratory Sockeye Salmon Habitat

This programmatic may only be used for projects constructed by or funded by the U.S. Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management.

Click here to expand contentClick here to collapse content  IDAHO HABITAT RESTORATION

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has developed a programmatic ESA Section 7 consultation for habitat restoration projects in Idaho. The NMFS programmatic biological opinion, signed February 9, 2015, covers aquatic habitat restoration activities that are funded, permitted, or implemented by one or more of six federal agencies. An individual project can be covered under this programmatic consultation if the project follows standard design criteria and conservation measures, described in the NMFS programmatic biological opinion.

Programmatic Overview

Programmatic Biological Assessment

NMFS Programmatic Biological Opinion

USFWS Progrmmatic Biological Opinion

 

Click here to expand contentClick here to collapse content  IDAHO TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT

In July 2010 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) issued their Biological Opinion and in May 2012 the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) issued their Biological Opinion for the programmatic consultation:  “Funding or Permitting of Routine Maintenance Activities on State Highways in Idaho”.

USFWS Cover Letter
USFWS July 13, 2010 Biological Opinion (pages 1-19)
USFWS July 13, 2010 Biological Opinion (pages 20-46) 
USFWS July 13, 2010 Biological Opinion (pages 47-73)
USFWS July 13, 2010 Biological Opinion (pages 74-98)

NMFS Cover Letter 
NMFS May 17, 2012 Biological Opinion (pages 1-28)
NMFS May 17, 2012 Biological Opinion (pages 29-70)
NMFS May 17, 2012 Biological Opinion (pages 71-106 and Appendix A-B)

ITD Programmatic Extension Nov. 20, 2015

This programmatic consultation was the result of coordination between the Corps of Enginners, the Federal Highway Administration, the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD), USFWS and NMFS.  

These Biological Opinions covers the following categories of activities:

  • Seal & Coat, Tack Coat and Prime Coat
  • Plant Mix Overlay
  • Cement Recycled Asphalt Base Stabilization (CRABS)
  • Cold In-Place Recycle (CIR)
  • Bridge Deck Hydro-Demolition
  • Silica Fume and Latex Modified Concrete Overlay
  • High Molecular Weight Methacrylate Seal (HMWM)
  • Concrete Waterproofing Systems (Membrane Type A, B, C, and D)
  • Bridge Deck Epoxy Chip Seal
  • Two-lane Bridge Construction (200cy fill or less below OHWM)
  • Excavation and Embankment for Roadway Construction (Earthwork)
  • Rock Scaling
  • Passing Lanes, Turnbays and Slow Moving Vehicle Turnouts
  • Pavement Widening (Sliver Shoulder Notch)
  • Bank Stabilization (rip rap)
  • Bank Stabilization (Gabion Basket)
  • Mechanically Stabilized Earth Embankment (MSE Wall)
  • Ditch Cleaning
  • Small Structure Repair
  • Culvert Installation (New Culverts and Replacement of Existing Culverts)
  • Culvert Extension
  • Culvert Maintenance
  • Guardrail Installation
  • Striping (methyl methacrylate or paint)
  • Geotechnical Drilling

This programmatic consultation will only be used for these categories of activities carried out by the Idaho Transportation Department and/or funded by the Federal Highway Administration.  In association with this programmatic consultation, the Corps of Engineers has designated ITD as the non-federal representative for ESA for projects covered under this programmatic consultation. This is in accordance with 50 CFR 402.08. 

Click here to expand contentClick here to collapse content  SLOPES:  Standard Local Operating Procedures for Endangered Species

In May 2013, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued their biological opinion for SLOPES - Standard Local Operating Procedures for Endangered Species - for eight (8) categories of activities typically authorized under the Corps' Nationwide Permit program. These SLOPES are streamlined procedures for consultation under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) for the eight categories of activities with potential impacts to listed bull trout in northern Idaho and western Montana.

USFWS Cover Letter 1
USFWS Cover Letter 2
USFWS May 17, 2013 Biological Opinion (105 pages)

  
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