CANDY DARTER PROGRAMMATIC AGREEMENT W/USFWS. This project shall consist of writing a Programmatic Agreement (PA) by utilizing data gathering and coordination to establish a streamlined process for handling routine environmental requirements regarding the Candy Darter for commonly encountered project types in West Virginia. The PA will be produced in accordance with Section 7 Endangered Species Act and will focus on repetitive actions at the state level. To develop the PA, the Consultant shall: Identify the general locations of future projects and the schedules for completion of the projects Identify areas where the Candy Darter and Candy Darter critical habitat are likely to be impacted by these future projects Identify recovery plans, biological studies, and biological opinions conducted within the geographic area of these projects in addition to data that the USFWS/WVDNR/WVDEP already have Identify relevant regional guidance that has undergone Section 7 consultation In coordination with state and federal agencies including the USFWS, jointly develop general strategies for addressing species conservation needs Develop avoidance and minimization procedures, such as seasonal restrictions or erosion-control measures, to remove or reduce the risk of direct impacts to listed and proposed listed species and their critical habitat Group future projects and associated actions according to the appropriate effects categories (e.g. “no effect", “not likely to adversely affect", etc.) Develop methods to offset impacts to listed species and their critical habitat The PA will then be submitted to the Technical Support Division for review and distribution to other interested agencies. The purpose of this PA is to satisfy programmatic consultation requirements under Section 7 of the ESA and will be developed in conjunction with and in accordance with the formal Section 7 Consultation Processes.
