Endangered Species Act Surveys and Permitting

In the northern Rockies, for good reason, the greater sage-grouse seems to receive the most attention with respect to the debate over listing this steppe-dwelling bird under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). In September of this year, the Obama Administration will re-classify the grouse from its current Candidate status to Threatened or Endangered (the latter two carry formal, federal protection afforded by the ESA), or remove it from the ESA altogether. This pending decision carries broad implications for ranchers, energy producers, and mining, particularly in Wyoming which supports the largest population among the grouse's 11-state range.

  

Mexican Spotted Owl photographed on the Cibola National Forest by Ben Eddy. Photo taken from a distance via telephoto lens to avoid disturbing the federally protected juvenile.  

In the West, where people and natural resources meet vast wild areas, it's more than just sage grouse. In Metro Denver our projects encounter bald eagles. Sightings of timber wolves in southern Wyoming, lynx and wolverines in northern Colorado, are phenomena unheard of for decades. Mostly, it's about the smaller, less charismatic endangered species though. Sagebrush scours project areas on the Colorado Plateau for small orchids and cacti. Be it a high-flying eagle or low-lying hookless cactus, the same ESA protections apply. Our biologists will work with you to understand the due-diligence required to complete your projects.

"Endangered" is often used as a catch-all phrase encompassing all special-status species. If the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, or states have jurisdiction over your project, they often require their own surveys and documentation. The BLM and USFS both have their own species lists beyond plants and animals protected by the ESA. States maintain their own endangered species lists and state-required survey protocols; this is especially true for raptors. 

Endangered and Special-Status Species Services

  • Endangered and Special-Status Species Surveys
  • Biological Assessments for USFWS compliance
  • Biological Evaluations for BLM, USFS, and state game and fish compliance
  • Bald and Golden Eagle Act (BGEPA) surveys, documentation, and data sheets for USFWS compliance
  • Migratory Bird Treaty Act pre-construction nest surveys
  • Protocol-level surveys for raptors, Uinta Basin rare plants, Mexican spotted owl, southwestern willow flycatcher, and others