United States Department of the Interior FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE Tennessee ES Office 446 Neal Street Cookeville, Tennessee 38501 December 18, 2018 Mr. John T. Baxter Manager, Biological Compliance Tennessee Valley Authority 400 West Summit Hill Drive Knoxville, TN 37902 Re: FWS #2018-F-0958; Programmatic Consultation for Right-of-Way Vegetation Management that May Affect Endangered or Threatened Plants in the Tennessee Valley Authority Service Area Dear Mr. Baxter: This letter acknowledges the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (Service) November 21, 2018, receipt of your November 19, 2015, letter requesting initiation of formal section 7 consultation under the Endangered Species Act (Act). The consultation concerns the possible effects of your proposed Programmatic Strategy for Right-of-Way Vegetation Management that May Affect Endangered or Threatened Plants in the Tennessee Valley Authority Service Area (TVA) (the Proposed Action) on 18 federally listed plants, including: • Price's potato-bean (Apios priceana) • Braun's rock-cress (Arabis perstellata) • Pyne's ground plum (Astragalus bibullatus) • Morefield's leather-flower (Clematis morefieldii) • Alabama leather flower (Clematis socialis) • leafy prairie-clover (Dalea foliosa) • whorled sunflower (Helianthus verticillatus) • small whorled pogonia (Isotria medeoloides) • fleshy-fruit gladecress (Leavenworthia crassa) • lyre-leaf bladderpod (Lesquerella lyrata) • Spring Creek bladderpod (Lesquerella perforata) • Mohr's Barbara's buttons (Marshallia mohrii) • Cumberland sandwort (Minuartia cumberlandensis) • Short’s bladderpod (Physaria globosa) • white fringeless orchid (Platanthera integrilabia) • green pitcher plant (Sarracenia oreophila) • large-flowered skullcap (Scutellaria montana) • Tennessee yellow-eyed grass (Xyris tennesseensis) Listed species (LE=listed as endangered; LT=listed as threatened) and designated critical habitats (DCH) that TVA has determined the proposed Action is not likely to adversely affect (NLAA). Federal DCH TVA Species TVA DCH Scientific Name Common Name Status (Y=Yes) Determination Determination Mammals Glaucomys sabrinus Carolina Northern Flying LE - NLAA - coloratus Squirrel Birds Charadrius melodus Piping Plover LT - NLAA - Grus americana Whooping Crane LE - NLAA - Mycteria americana Wood Stork LT - NLAA - Red-cockaded Picoides borealis LE - NLAA - Woodpecker Sterna antillarum Interior Least Tern LE - NLAA - athalassos Reptiles Graptemys oculifera Ringed Map Turtle LT - NLAA - Sternotherus depressus Flattened Musk Turtle LT - NLAA - Amphibians Gyrinophilus Berry Cave Salamander C - NLAA - gulolineatus Necturus alabamensis Black Warrior Waterdog LE Y NLAA NLAA Fishes Acipenser oxyrinchus Gulf Sturgeon LT - NLAA - desotoi Chrosomus saylori Laurel Dace LE Y NLAA NLAA Cottus paulus Pygmy Sculpin LT Proposed NLAA NE* (pygmaeus) Crystallaria cincotta Diamond Darter LE Y NLAA NLAA Cyprinella caerulea Blue Shiner LT - NLAA - Elassoma alabamae Spring Pygmy Sunfish LT Proposed NLAA NLAA Erimonax monachus Spotfin Chub LT Y NLAA NLAA Erimystax cahni Slender Chub LT Y NLAA NLAA Etheostoma akatulo Bluemask Darter LE - NLAA - Etheostoma boschungi Slackwater Darter LT Y NLAA NLAA Etheostoma chermocki Vermilion Darter LE Y NLAA NE* Etheostoma chienense Relict Darter LE - NLAA - Etheostoma nuchale Watercress darter LE - NLAA - Etheostoma percnurum Duskytail Darter LE - NLAA - Etheostoma phytophilum Rush Darter LE Y NLAA NE* Etheostoma rubrum Bayou Darter LT - NLAA - Etheostoma spilotum Kentucky Arrow Darter LT - NLAA - Etheostoma susanae Cumberland Darter LE Y NLAA NLAA Etheostoma trisella Trispot Darter PT - NLAA - Etheostoma wapiti Boulder Darter LE - NLAA - Under Moxostoma sp. 2 Sicklefin Redhorse - NLAA - Review Notropis albizonatus Palezone Shiner LE - NLAA - Notropis cahabae Cahaba Shiner LE Proposed NLAA NE* 1 Federal DCH TVA Species TVA DCH Scientific Name Common Name Status (Y=Yes) Determination Determination Noturus baileyi Smoky Madtom LE Y NLAA NE* Noturus crypticus Chucky Madtom LE Y NLAA NE* Noturus flavipinnis Yellowfin Madtom LT Y NLAA NE* Noturus stanauli Pygmy Madtom LE - NLAA - Percina antesella Amber Darter LE Y NLAA NLAA Percina aurolineata Goldline Darter LT Proposed NLAA NE* Percina aurora Pearl Darter LT - NLAA - Percina jenkinsi Conasauga Logperch LE Y NLAA NLAA Percina tanasi Snail Darter LT - NLAA - Phoxinus Blackside Dace LT - NLAA - cumberlandensis Scaphirhynchus albus Pallid Sturgeon LE - NLAA NLAA Scaphirhynchus suttkusi Alabama Sturgeon LE - NLAA - Speoplatyrhinus poulsoni Alabama Cavefish LE Y NLAA NE* Freshwater mussels Alasmidonta Cumberland Elktoe LE Y NLAA NLAA atropurpurea Alasmidonta raveneliana Appalachian Elktoe LE Y NLAA NE* Cumberlandia Spectaclecase LE - NLAA - monodonta Cyprogenia stegaria Fanshell LE - NLAA - Dromedary Dromus dromas LE - NLAA - Pearlymussel Cumberlandian Epioblasma brevidens LE Y NLAA NLAA Combshell Epioblasma Oyster Mussel LE Y NLAA NLAA capsaeformis Epioblasma florentina Yellow-blossom LE - NLAA - florentina Pearlymussel Epioblasma florentina Tan Riffleshell LE - NLAA - walkeri Epioblasma metastriata Upland Combshell LE Y NLAA NLAA Epioblasma obliquata Purple Catspaw LE - NLAA - obliquata Epioblasma Southern Acornshell LE Y NLAA NLAA othcaloogensis Epioblasma penita Southern Combshell LE - NLAA - Epioblasma torulosa Green Blossom LE - NLAA - gubernaculum Pearlymussel Epioblasma torulosa Northern Riffleshell LE - NLAA - rangiana Epioblasma torulosa Tuberculed Blossom LE - NLAA - torulosa Pearlymussel Epioblasma triquetra Snuffbox LE - NLAA - Turgid Blossom Epioblasma turgidula LE - NLAA - Pearlymussel Shiny Pigtoe Fusconaia cor LE - NLAA - Pearlymussel 2 Federal DCH TVA Species TVA DCH Scientific Name Common Name Status (Y=Yes) Determination Determination Fusconaia cuneolus Fine-rayed Pigtoe LE - NLAA - Hemistena lata Cracking Pearlymussel LE - NLAA - Lampsilis abrupta Pink Mucket LE - NLAA - Lampsilis altilis Fine-lined Pocketbook LT Y NLAA NLAA Lampsilis perovalis Orange-nacre Mucket LT Y NLAA NLAA Lampsilis virescens Alabama Lampmussel LE - NLAA - Lemiox rimosus Birdwing Pearlymussel LE - NLAA - Leptodea leptodon Scaleshell LE - NLAA - Medionidus acutissimus Alabama Moccasinshell LT Y NLAA NLAA Medionidus parvulus Coosa Moccasinshell LE Y NLAA NLAA Obovaria retusa Ring Pink LE - NLAA - Pegias fabula Little-wing Pearlymussel LE - NLAA - Plethobasus cicatricosus White Wartyback LE - NLAA - Plethobasus cooperianus Orange-foot Pimpleback LE - NLAA - Plethobasus cyphyus Sheepnose LE - NLAA - Pleurobema clava Clubshell LE - NLAA - Pleurobema curtum Black Clubshell LE - NLAA - Pleurobema decisum Southern Clubshell LE Y NLAA NLAA Pleurobema furvum Dark Pigtoe LE Y NLAA NLAA Pleurobema georgianum Southern Pigtoe LE - NLAA - Pleurobema gibberum Cumberland Pigtoe LE - NLAA - Pleurobema Georgia Pigtoe LE - NLAA - hanleyianum Pleurobema marshalli Flat Pigtoe LE - NLAA - Pleurobema perovatum Ovate Clubshell LE Y NLAA NLAA Pleurobema plenum Rough Pigtoe LE - NLAA - Pleurobema taitianum Heavy Pigtoe LE - NLAA - Pleuronaia dolabelloides Slabside Pearlymussel LE Y NLAA NLAA Potamilus capax Fat Pocketbook LE - NLAA - Alamabama (inflated) Potamilus inflatus LT - NLAA - Heelsplitter Ptychobranchus greenii Triangular Kidneyshell LE Y NLAA NLAA Ptychobranchus Fluted Kidneyshell LE Y NLAA NLAA subtentum Quadrula cylindrica Rabbitsfoot LT Y NLAA NLAA Quadrula cylindrica Rough Rabbitsfoot LE Y NLAA NLAA strigillata Quadrula fragosa Winged Mapleleaf LE - NLAA - Cumberland Quadrula intermedia LE - NLAA - Monkeyface Appalachian Quadrula sparsa LE - NLAA - Monkeyface Quadrula stapes Stirrupshell LE - NLAA - Toxolasma cylindrellus Pale Lilliput LE - NLAA - Villosa fabalis Rayed Bean LE - NLAA - Villosa perpurpurea Purple Bean LE Y NLAA NLAA Villosa trabalis Cumberland Bean LE - NLAA - Snails 3 Federal DCH TVA Species TVA DCH Scientific Name Common Name Status (Y=Yes) Determination Determination Painted Snake Coiled Anguispira picta LT - NLAA - Forest Snail Athearnia anthonyi Anthony's River Snail LE - NLAA - Campeloma decampi Slender Campeloma LE - NLAA - Leptoxis ampla Round Rocksnail LT - NLAA - Leptoxis foremani Interrupted Rocksnail LE Y NLAA NLAA Leptoxis plicata Plicate Rocksnail LE - NLAA - Leptoxis taeniata Painted Rocksnail LT - NLAA - Lioplax cyclostomaformis Cylindrical Lioplax LE - NLAA - Pleurocera foremani Rough Hornsnail LE - NLAA - Pyrgulopsis ogmorhaphe Royal Marstonia LE - NLAA - Pyrgulopsis pachyta Armored Marstonia LE - NLAA - Insects Neonympha mitchellii Mitchell's Satyr LE - NLAA - Crustaceans Orconectes shoupi Nashville Crayfish LE - NLAA - Flowering Plants Arabis georgiana Georgia Rock-cress LT Y NLAA NE* Conradina verticillata Cumberland Rosemary LT - NLAA - Liatris helleri Heller's Blazing Star LT - NLAA - Lindera melissifolia Pondberry LE - NLAA - Ptilimnium nodosum Harperella LE - NLAA - Sagittaria secundifolia Kral’s Water-plantain LT - NLAA - Spigelia gentianoides Gentian Pinkroot LE - NLAA - Spiraea virginiana Virginia Spiraea LT - NLAA - *NE = No Effect 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABBREVIATIONS/ACRONYMS ............................................................................................................................. V CONSULTATION HISTORY ................................................................................................................................. VII BIOLOGICAL OPINION ........................................................................................................................................ 1 1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................