First, action agencies need to know which ESA-listed species or designated critical habitat occur in their project areas. A list of Species and Critical Habitat found in the Southeast Region is provided (click on link).
Next, action agencies need to determine if ESA consultation is required. Consultation is not required if the action agency determines that the proposed project will have “no effect” to listed species or designated critical habitat. This means that a listed species or designated critical habitat will not be affected (adversely or beneficially), either because it will not be present or because the project does not have any elements with the potential to affect the species or critical habitat. If listed species or critical habitat may be affected, then consultation is required.
We are requiring all informal Section 7 consultation requests be submitted in the Expedited consultation format starting February 1, 2022.
The following sections are provided to help you determine whether consultation is necessary and how to develop a consultation request:
- Species and Critical Habitat Lists
- Species and Critical Habitat Consultation Frameworks
- Section 7 Consultation Guidance
- Making a "No Effect" Determination (PDF, 3 pages)
- Expedited Informal Consultation
- After-the-Fact Permitting (PDF, 2 pages)
- Emergency Consultations
- Frequently Requested Biological Opinions
- Endangered Species Act Policies, Guidance, and Regulations
- Protected Species Educational Signs
To submit a consultation request, the action agency should follow the steps outlined here:
- How to Submit a Consultation (click on link).
For additional help, we strongly encourage action agency staff or non-federal representatives who may need to do ESA consultations to contact us:
Phone: (727) 824-5312
Email: nmfs.ser.esa.consultations@noaa.gov
(copy and paste email address above)
We are happy to provide you with assistance and guidance—before you begin the official ESA consultation process—to make the process easier, quicker, and more efficient.
To report incidental take, please fill out the NMFS SERO Endangered Species Take Report Form
