Endangered Species Act - Section 7 Consultation Programmatic Biological Opinion Addressing Oil and Hazardous Substance Spill/Release Response Activities in Selected Areas of Idaho, Washington, and Oregon U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Reference Number: 01E00000-2015-F-0001 Action Agencies: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10 U.S. Coast Guard, 13th Coast Guard District Prepared By: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Interior Region 9 - Columbia-Pacific Northwest _____________________________________________ Marjorie Nelson, Acting Assistant Regional Director Ecological Services ___________________________ Date 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS .........................................................................2 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................7 Consultation History ................................................................................8 BIOLOGICAL AND CONFERENCE OPINION ...................................12 Description of the Proposed Action ......................................................................... 12 Response Planning Under the Northwest Area Contingency Plan .................... 13 Response Action Command Structure and Coordination .................................. 15 Role of Geographic Response Plans (GRPs) ..................................................... 17 Coordination of Response Activities with the ESA ............................................ 18 Decision Process for Use of Non-Mechanical Countermeasures ..................... 19 Chemical Dispersion .......................................................................................... 20 In Situ Burning ................................................................................................... 21 Emergency Consultation .................................................................................... 22 Summary ............................................................................................................ 23 Description of Response Tools and Methods ..................................................... 24 Protected Species and Habitat in the Action Area ............................................ 35 Description of Habitats within the Action Area ................................................. 36 Conservation Measures ..................................................................................... 40 Term of the Action .............................................................................................. 40 Action Area ........................................................................................................ 40 Analytical Framework for the Jeopardy and Destruction/Adverse Modification of Critical Habitat Determinations ......................................... 41 Jeopardy Determination .................................................................................... 42 Destruction/Adverse Modification Determination ............................................. 43 Potentially-affected Species and Critical Habitat ................................................... 44 Spalding’s Catchfly ................................................................................................... 44 Rangewide Status of the Spalding’s Catchfly .................................................... 44 Status of the Spalding’s Catchfly in the Action Area ......................................... 47 Effects of the Action on the Spalding’s Catchfly ................................................ 48 Cumulative Effects ............................................................................................. 49 Conclusion ......................................................................................................... 50 Bliss Rapids Snail ...................................................................................................... 50 Rangewide Status of the Bliss Rapids Snail ....................................................... 50 Status of the Bliss Rapids Snail in the Action Area ........................................... 52 Effects of the Action on the Bliss Rapids Snail .................................................. 53 Cumulative Effects ............................................................................................. 56 Conclusion ......................................................................................................... 56 Oregon Spotted Frog ................................................................................................. 57 Rangewide Status of the Oregon Spotted Frog .................................................. 57 Status of the Oregon Spotted Frog in the Action Area ...................................... 57 3 Effects of the Action on the Oregon Spotted Frog ............................................. 61 Cumulative Effects ............................................................................................. 66 Conclusion ......................................................................................................... 67 Oregon Spotted Frog Critical Habitat ..................................................................... 67 Rangewide Status of Oregon Spotted Frog Critical Habitat ............................. 67 Status of Oregon Spotted Frog Critical Habitat in the Action Area ................. 68 Effects of the Action on Oregon Spotted Frog Critical Habitat ........................ 68 Cumulative Effects ............................................................................................. 69 Conclusion ......................................................................................................... 69 Bull Trout ................................................................................................................... 70 Rangewide Status of the Bull Trout ................................................................... 70 Status of the Bull Trout in the Action Area ........................................................ 71 Effects of the Action on the Bull Trout ............................................................... 82 Cumulative Effects ............................................................................................. 89 Conclusion ......................................................................................................... 91 Bull Trout Critical Habitat ....................................................................................... 91 Rangewide Status of Bull Trout Critical Habitat ............................................... 91 Status of Bull Trout Critical Habitat in the Action Area ................................... 98 Effects of the Action on Bull Trout Critical Habitat ........................................ 101 Cumulative Effects ........................................................................................... 104 Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 104 Kootenai River White Sturgeon ............................................................................. 105 Rangewide Status of the Kootenai River White Sturgeon ................................ 105 Status of the Kootenai River White Sturgeon in the Action Area .................... 112 Effects of the Action on the Kootenai River White Sturgeon ........................... 117 Cumulative Effects ........................................................................................... 119 Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 119 Kootenai River White Sturgeon Critical Habitat ................................................. 120 Rangewide Status of the Kootenai River White Sturgeon Critical Habitat ..... 120 Status of the Kootenai River White Sturgeon Critical Habitat in the Action Area ...................................................................................................... 124 Effects of the Action on the Kootenai River White Sturgeon Critical Habitat ................................................................................................. 125 Cumulative Effects ........................................................................................... 127 Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 127 Marbled Murrelet .................................................................................................... 128 Rangewide Status of the Marbled Murrelet ..................................................... 128 Status of the Marbled Murrelet in the Action Area ......................................... 134 Effects of the Action on the Marbled Murrelet ................................................ 140 Cumulative Effects ........................................................................................... 153 Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 154 Marbled Murrelet Critical Habitat ....................................................................... 155 Rangewide Status of the Marbled Murrelet Critical Habitat .......................... 155 Status of the Marbled Murrelet Critical Habitat in the Action Area ............... 160 Effects of the Action on the Marbled Murrelet Critical Habitat ...................... 163 Cumulative Effects ........................................................................................... 164