Essential Fish Habitat: An overview of the consultation requirement for the American Association of Port Authorities

National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Regional Office Habitat Conservation Division, Atlantic Branch Jocelyn Leah Karazsia DepartmentDepartment ofof CommerceCommerce NationalNational OceanicOceanic && AtmosphericAtmospheric AdministrationAdministration NationalNational MarineMarine FisheriesFisheries ServiceService HabitatHabitat ConservationConservation DivisionDivision SoutheastSoutheast RegionalRegional OfficeOffice AtlanticAtlantic BranchBranch WestWest PalmPalm FieldField OfficeOffice NOAANOAA FisheriesFisheries’’ MissionMission

Stewardship of living marine resources through science-based conservation and management and the promotion of healthy ecosystems HabitatHabitat ConservationConservation DivisionDivision

• Provide recommendations for sequentially avoiding, minimizing, and offsetting adverse impacts to NOAA-trust resources •Conservation and enhancement of Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) •Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act PresentationPresentation overview:overview:

„ LegislativeLegislative MandatesMandates

„ DefiningDefining EFHEFH

„ ExamplesExamples ofof InteragencyInteragency CoordinationCoordination onon PortPort projectsprojects LegislativeLegislative MandatesMandates

„ Magnuson-Stevens Magnuson-Stevens „ Clean Water Act Fishery Conservation „ Water Resources Development and Management Act „ Water Resources Development and Management Act Act „ Federal Power Act and „ Anadromous Fish Conservation Energy Policy Act Act „ Atlantic Coastal Fisheries „ Deepwater Port Act Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act „ „ Coral Reef „ National Environmental Policy Conservation Act Act

„ Fish and Wildlife Coordination „ Marine Protection, Research and Act Sanctuaries Act MagnusonMagnuson--StevensStevens ActAct andand thethe EssentialEssential FishFish HabitatHabitat (EFH)(EFH) RuleRule

„ Consultation requirements for federal agencies when an adverse affect to EFH is proposed [50 CFR Part 600]

„ Describe and identify EFH for each federally-managed fishery (through Fishery Management Councils)

„ Encourage conservation and enhancement of EFH

„ Congress defined EFH in the Magnuson-Stevens Act as “those waters and substrate necessary to fish for spawning, breeding, feeding, or growth to maturity” [16 U.S.C. 1802(10)] EssentialEssential FishFish HabitatHabitat whatwhat isis it,it, wherewhere isis itit found,found, andand whowho designateddesignated itit…… East Coast, Caribbean and Gulf New England •Monkfish Fishery Management Councils •Multispecies •Sea Scallops •Atlantic Salmon •Atlantic Secretarial Herring •Atlantic HMS (Tunas, Mid-Atlantic Swordfish & Sharks) •Mackerel, Squid, Butterfish •Atlantic Billfish •Surf Clam & Ocean Quahog •Atlantic Bluefish •Summer Flounder, Scup & Black Sea Bass •Dogfish

South Atlantic •Spiny Lobster •Coastal Migratory Pelagics Gulf of Mexico •Snapper-Grouper •Spiny Lobster •Red Drum •Coastal Migratory Pelagics •Coral, Live/Hard Bottom •Coral & Coral Reefs Caribbean •Shrimp •Stone Crab •Queen Conch •Golden Crab •Shrimp •Corals, Plants and •Dolphin/Wahoo •Reef Fish Resources Invertebrates •Calico Scallop •Red Drum •Spiny Lobster •Sargassum •Caribbean Reef Fish SouthSouth AtlanticAtlantic FMCFMC EFHEFH AmendmentAmendment

EFH Categories: HAPC Categories: ƒ Palustrine & estuarine ƒ Coral & Hard Bottoms emergent wetlands ƒ Mangroves & Seagrass ƒ Mangroves ƒ Worm Reefs ƒ Coral & Live Bottoms ƒ Biscayne & FL Bays ƒ Seagrass & Algal flats ƒ Grays Reef NMS ƒ Oyster reefs ƒ Bogue Sound ƒ Intertidal & Mud Flats ƒ Charleston Bump ƒ Sargassum ƒ Oculina Bank ƒ Estuarine & marine water column EFH Consultation Process

Federal Action proposed Corps Public Notice…30 days NOAA Fisheries provides EFH that may NEPA EIS/EA……45-60 days Conservation adversely EFH Assessment…30-60 days Recommendations (CRs) to affect Federal Action Agency EFH

Federal Action Agency has 30 days to provide a written response

Action agency adopts CRs and provides 10-day letter NOAA Fisheries responds within 10 days or Action agency does not adopt and sends substantive response as a 10-day letter NOAA Fisheries responds within 10 days or Action agency provides interim response and proceeds to one of the two above actions

Process continues until EFH consultation requirement satisfied CleanClean WaterWater Act,Act, §§404404 ƒ 404(b)(1) guidelines require sequential avoidance, minimization and compensation for impacts to Waters of the U.S. ƒ 404(q) elevation of permits ƒ Water Resources Development Act ƒ Aquatic Resources of National Importance (oyster, hard clam, skipjack tuna, blue crab, swordfish, Atlantic menhaden, striped bass, hickory shad, shortnose sturgeon, etc.)

[33 USC 1344] Example #1: Port Everglades Outer Entrance Channel PortPort EvergladesEverglades ExpansionExpansion ProjectProject

„ OuterOuter EntranceEntrance ChannelChannel ReefReef ImpactsImpacts „ Interagency/StakeholderInteragency/Stakeholder WorkingWorking GroupGroup „ OtherOther EFHEFH challengeschallenges

Photos by Vladimir Kosmynin ExampleExample #2:#2: KeyKey WestWest HarborHarbor DredgingDredging ProjectProject

„ KeyKey PlayersPlayers „ EntireEntire FKNMSFKNMS isis anan HAPCHAPC „ EFHEFH challengeschallenges andand accomplishmentsaccomplishments „ ResourceResource healthhealth andand sedimentationsedimentation monitoringmonitoring „ WorkingWorking GroupGroup

Photo by Vladimir Kosmynin ExampleExample #3:#3: CharlestonCharleston HarborHarbor PortPort TerminalTerminal

„ CloseClose coordinationcoordination withwith thethe Corps,Corps, FWSFWS andand SouthSouth CarolinaCarolina DNRDNR „ ResolvedResolved mitigationmitigation issuesissues „ OysterOyster habitathabitat creationcreation andand marshmarsh restorationrestoration Remember: Marine ecosystems maintain the fisheries, protect our coasts, and provide recreation for all of us. Please protect them!

Photo by: Juan L. Torres, Carlos Pacheco, Lisamarie Carrubba y Efra Figueroa