Table of Contents ACRONYMS ..................................................................................................................... 5 CONSULTATION HISTORY ........................................................................................... 7 BIOLOGICAL OPINION ................................................................................................... 9 1. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED ACTION ........................................................ 9 1.1. Action Area ..................................................................................................... 10 1.2. Conservation Measures ................................................................................... 10 1.3. Project Timing and Duration .......................................................................... 11 2. PIPING PLOVER ....................................................................................................... 12 2.1. Status of the Species ....................................................................................... 12 2.1.1. Species Description ................................................................................... 12 2.1.2. Life History ............................................................................................... 13 2.1.3. Population Dynamics ................................................................................ 15 2.1.3.1. Northern Great Plains breeding population ....................................... 16 2.1.3.2. Great Lakes breeding population ...................................................... 18 2.1.3.3. Atlantic Coast breeding population ................................................... 21 2.1.4. Status and distribution............................................................................... 24 2.1.5. Analysis of the Species Likely to be Affected .......................................... 35 2.2. Environmental Baseline .................................................................................. 63 2.2.1. Status of the species within the Action Area ........................................... 63 2.2.2. Factors affecting the species environment within the Action Area .......... 70 2.3. Effects of the Action ....................................................................................... 86 2.3.1. Factors to be considered............................................................................ 86 2.3.2. Analyses for effects of the action.............................................................. 87 2.3.3. Species’ response to the proposed action.................................................. 88 2.4. Cumulative Impacts ........................................................................................ 88 2.5. Conclusion ...................................................................................................... 88 3. PIPING PLOVER WINTERING CRITICAL HABITAT ......................................... 89 3.1. Status of the Critical Habitat ........................................................................... 89 3.1.1. Critical Habitat Description and Status ............................................. 89 3.1.2. Analysis of the Critical Habitat Likely to be Affected ...................... 92 3.2. Environmental Baseline .................................................................................. 96 3.2.1. Status of the Critical Habitat within the Action Area ............................... 96 3.2.2. Factors Affecting Critical Habitat within the Action Area ....................... 98 3.3. Effects of the Action ..................................................................................... 100 3.3.1. Factors to be considered.......................................................................... 101 3.3.2. Analysis for effects of the action ............................................................ 101 3.4. Cumulative Effects........................................................................................ 101 3.5. Conclusion .................................................................................................... 102 4. RED KNOT ......................................................................................................... 102 4.1. Status of the Species ..................................................................................... 102 4.1.1. Species Description ................................................................................. 102 4.1.2. Life History ............................................................................................. 103 2 4.1.3. Population Dynamics .............................................................................. 105 4.1.4. Status and Distribution ............................................................................ 107 4.1.5. Analysis of the Species Likely to be Affected ........................................ 108 4.2 Environmental Baseline ................................................................................ 118 4.2.1. Status of the species within the Action Area .......................................... 118 4.2.2. Factors affecting the species environment within the Action Area ........ 121 4.3. Effects of the Action ..................................................................................... 128 4.3.1. Factors to be considered.......................................................................... 128 4.3.2. Analyses for effects of the action............................................................ 129 4.3.3. Species’ response to a proposed action ................................................... 130 4.4. Cumulative Effects........................................................................................ 130 4.5. Conclusion .................................................................................................... 130 5. SEABEACH AMARANTH ..................................................................................... 131 5.1. Status of the Species/Critical Habitat ........................................................... 131 5.1.1. Species/critical habitat description ......................................................... 131 5.1.2. Life history .............................................................................................. 131 5.1.3. Population dynamics ............................................................................... 131 5.1.4. Status and distribution............................................................................. 132 5.1.5. Analysis of the Species Likely to be Affected ........................................ 133 5.2. Environmental Baseline ................................................................................ 135 5.2.1. Status of the species within the Action Area .......................................... 135 5.2.2. Factors affecting the species environment within the Action Area ........ 137 5.3. Effects of the Action ..................................................................................... 138 5.3.1. Factors to be considered.......................................................................... 138 5.3.2. Analyses for effects of the action............................................................ 138 5.3.3. Species’ response to a proposed action ................................................... 139 5.4. Cumulative Effects........................................................................................ 139 5.5. Conclusion .................................................................................................... 139 6. LOGGERHEAD, GREEN, LEATHERBACK, HAWKSBILL, AND KEMP’S RIDLEY SEA TURTLES 140 6.1. Status of the Species/Critical Habitat .......................................................... 140 6.1.1. Species/critical habitat description ......................................................... 140 6.1.1.1. Species/critical habitat description – Loggerhead Sea Turtle .......... 140 6.1.1.1.1. Critical habitat description ..................................................... 141 6.1.1.2. Species/critical habitat description – Green Sea Turtle ................... 143 6.1.1.3. Species/critical habitat description – Leatherback Sea Turtle ......... 144 6.1.1.4. Species/critical habitat description – Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle .... 145 6.1.1.5. Species/critical habitat description – Hawksbill Sea Turtle ............ 146 6.1.2. Life History ............................................................................................. 147 6.1.2.1. Life History – Loggerhead Sea Turtle ............................................. 147 6.1.2.2. Life History – Green Sea Turtle ...................................................... 149 6.1.2.3. Life History – Leatherback Sea Turtle ........................................... 150 6.1.2.4. Life History – Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle ........................................ 150 6.1.2.5. Life History – Hawksbill Sea Turtle ............................................... 150 6.1.3. Population dynamics ............................................................................... 151 3 6.1.3.1. Population dynamics - Loggerhead Sea Turtle ............................... 151 6.1.3.2. Population dynamics - Green Sea Turtle ......................................... 151 6.1.3.3. Population dynamics – Leatherback Sea Turtle .............................. 152 6.1.3.4. Population dynamics – Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle ......................... 153 6.1.3.5. Population dynamics – Hawksbill Sea Turtle ................................