ESA Section Consultation Support - Alaska Region

ESA Section 7 Consultation Position

Ocean Associates Inc. (OAI) is seeking an applicant to provide ESA Section 7 Consultation to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries), Alaska Regional Office (AKR), Protected Resources Division (PRD) in Juneau, AK.

The NOAA Fisheries Alaska Region (AKR) Protected Resources Division (PRD) administers the Region's responsibilities under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The AKR PRD regularly consults on the effects of federal projects and authorizations upon threatened and endangered species and their designated critical habitat under Section 7 of the ESA. It is also responsible for implementing recovery actions directed towards conservation of threatened and endangered species under the ESA.

In Alaska, PRD administers Section 7 of the ESA through consultation with federal agencies to conserve listed species and critical habitat during project development and implementation. Section 7 consultation is required when an action authorized, funded, or carried out by a federal action agency and may affect a listed species or its designated critical habitat. Informal consultation can be completed if the action may affect, but is not likely to adversely affect, listed species and/or critical habitat.

If an action is likely to adversely affect listed species or critical habitat, formal consultation is required.

Task A:
Technical assistance

Act as representative for early technical assistance to federal agencies, or their designated non-federal representatives, consultants, or applicants regarding ESA Section 7 consultation requirements, inclusion of appropriate listed species, distinctions between the effects determinations, and measures to minimize, mitigate or avoid the taking of listed species or adverse effects to critical habitat. Technical assistance also includes retaining responsibility for a consultation for the full duration of the Task Order (i.e., conducting reviews, filing monitoring reports if requested afterward, and handling reinitiation requests).

Task B:
Managing consultation requests

Within two days of being assigned a consultation, establish contact with the Action Agency, introducing themselves to their point of contact. Within two weeks, respond to requests for initiation with NMFS' request for additional information regarding large issues (if any) that, once addressed, will allow proceeding with the consultation. These requests for additional information will initially be submitted to the NMFS section 7 coordinator or their deputy.

If adequate information is provided initially, let the action agency know that consultation has begun, providing them with the date of initiation.

Task C:
Expedited Consultations

Expedited consultations are not shortcut consultations. Rather, the action agency takes on additional responsibilities in providing a detailed analysis of project effects on listed species. Done well, requests for expedited consultation allows NMFS to complete informal consultations as stated in the Deliverables section. This will require evaluating the completeness of the project description provided, review the action agency's analysis for sufficiency (including verifying cited information that may affect our concurrence).

Then draft a rationale statement explaining how they got to the point of concurring with the action agency's conclusions and determinations. In addition, draft a letter to the action agency using the AKR PRD template indicating our concurrence.

Task D:
Informal Consultations

Conduct ESA section 7 informal (including programmatic or batched) consultations, communicate with federal action agencies or their designated non-federal representatives, reviewing and assessing information supplied by action agencies to meet consultation needs, assessing project effects relative to ESA standards, preparing Letters of Concurrence, assembling administrative records of consultations, completing NMFS consultation tracking database (ECO) entries, and assisting with responding to Freedom of Information Act requests involving projects upon which you have worked.

Task E:
Formal Consultations

Conduct ESA section 7 formal (including programmatic or batched) consultations, communicate and meet with federal action agencies, review and assess Biological Assessments as well as draft and final Marine Mammal Protection Act Incidental Harassment Authorization applications for sufficiency, assessing project effects upon ESA-listed marine mammals relative to ESA standards, preparation of Biological Opinions, assembling administrative records of consultations, completing NMFS consultation tracking database (ECO) entries, and assisting with responding to Freedom of Information Act requests involving projects upon which you have worked.

Start Date:

Contingent upon award of contract.

Location:

Remote/telework, or Regional Office in Juneau, AK, or Regional office in Anchorage, AK. (If remote, to the greatest…