EXH1248050568

PCHBPollution Control Hearings Board of the State of Washington

Rc: Biological Assmsment for Masmr Plan Upchu¢Improvcmmm st Seaa_Tacoma International Airport (NMFS No. WSB-00-318) and Essem_ Fish Habita_consultation Dear NIx.Johnson: On June 16, 2000, the National Marine Fishings Service ('NNIFS)received a Biological Assc_'ment (BA) from TheFedcnd Aviation Adminismsfion (FAA) on behalf of the Port of Seattle (Port). The Port is FAA's dmgnamd non-fcck_ rcp:csenmtivc for this consultmion. The BA considered numerous comm_on pmjccm included in the Mas_ Plan Update Improvemen_ for Scsuic-Tscoma Intcrmmonal Airport (STIA), FAA _ consultation under theEndangeredSpecimAct(Se¢7(a)C2))for eh_-n0ksalmon(Onckorkynckus u_tscka). The Port is the proponent of the STIA projects btn FAA provides partial funding for the action, thus cre,am_ a Federal nexus and the need for scction 7 consulunion. This consulmxion covers federal actions th_ arcrequiredto implement STIAprojccr.sincluding: I) FAA funding of airport impmvcmen_ 2) FAA co_on ofa conU_! lower and navigational aids,3)Issuanceofa 404permitbytheCorpsof,Engineers(COL=)asrequiredbytheFederal CleanWaterAct.The BA alsoadd:rasedtheeffectsofSTIA projectsonEssentialFishHabitat (EFH) of coastal pelagic species and West Coast groundfish as required by Section 305(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. EFH for Coho salmon (O kisutch), a candidate species in Puget Sound, was no_ considered in this consultation although an indcpendcm asscssmcm of EFH for coho was prepared by the Port and delivered to NMFS on March 27, 2001. The BA concludes tha: STIA projects '_ay affect," but arc"not likely ¢oadversaly sfl'cct" chinook salmon and _ co--on and operation of the projects "may affect" but is "not likely to destroy or aclvcxlcly modify" dmignaxed critical babiu_. The BA also concludes _ STIA projectsarc'_notlikelym adverselyaffect"anyidentifiedEFH fortl¢coastalpelagicspeciesand WestCoastCn'm.mclfish. ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT This consutrmion is…
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