Project planning assistance and review are free services provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Our biologists can review a project as part of:

  • Technical Assistance: Project that will not involve Federal permitting or funding
  • Informal ESA Section 7 Section 7
    Section 7 Consultation The Endangered Species Act (ESA) directs all Federal agencies to work to conserve endangered and threatened species and to use their authorities to further the purposes of the Act. Section 7 of the Act, called "Interagency Cooperation," is the mechanism by which Federal agencies ensure the actions they take, including those they fund or authorize, do not jeopardize the existence of any listed species.

    Learn more about Section 7     Consultation: Project involving a Federal action, permit, fund, or license that is not likely to adversely affect species or critical habitat
  • Formal ESA Section 7 Consultation: Project involving a Federal action, permit, fund, or license that is likely to adversely affect species or critical habitat
  • Section 10 of the ESA applies to鈥痭on-Federal actions鈥痶hat are likely to take listed species.鈥疶his process includes development of a Habitat Conservation Plan which will be accompanied by an Incidental Take鈥疨ermit.鈥疶he Georgia Ecological Services Field Office will鈥痯rovide information to help you decide鈥痠f this is the right choice for you.鈥疻e recommend you coordinate with our office early if鈥痽ou鈥痑nticipate鈥痶his鈥痶o be鈥痶he most appropriate鈥痯ath for your project.鈥�
  • Emergency Consultation

Where can you begin?

All reviews begin at the , where landowners, consultants, agencies, and anyone that requires U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service review of a project may request an official species list. 

How and What to Submit In a Project Review Package

Step 1: Describe Action Area and Project Activities

Before you begin working in IPaC IPaC
Information for Planning and Consultation (IPaC) is a project planning tool that streamlines the USFWS environmental review process

Learn more about IPaC , consider how your project may interact with listed or at-risk species and/or their habitats. Under the Endangered Species Act, the Action Area includes 鈥渁ll areas to be affected directly or indirectly by the Federal action and not merely the immediate area involved in the action鈥�. A detailed account and analysis of all project activities is necessary to encompass all temporary and permanent changes to 鈥渓and, water, and air鈥� caused by activities that would not occur but for the proposed action and are reasonably certain to occur. The Action Area also includes areas that are used to help offset project impacts (e.g., areas where species are to be relocated, mitigation areas, etc.). Document a detailed project description including: 

  • Project activities
  • Project purpose
  • Project timeline
  • Maps delineating project location and Action Area
  • Range of impacts, such as ground disturbance, changes in water quality and quantity (surface and groundwater), air quality, artificial lighting, noise disturbance
  • Construction and maintenance methods, equipment, and materials being used
  • Project planning maps and diagrams, including relevant engineering specifications or drawings

Step 2: Consider At-risk and Listed Species That Occur in Project Area

Initiate Endangered Species Act review using the Service鈥檚 tool. The Official Resources List will include all federally-listed threatened, endangered, or candidate species, Critical Habitats and migratory bird habitat that may occur within your project area. Until the proposed project is implemented, we recommend checking IPaC every 90 days to ensure that you have current information about listed, proposed or candidate species information for the project.

Step 3: Evaluate Suitable Habitat 

Determine whether listed, proposed, or candidate species may occur based on the habitat within the Action Area. For each species included in the IPaC report, use the best available information to determine whether the Action Area contains suitable habitat. Habitat assessments or surveys must be conducted by a qualified professional during appropriate survey times. Handling or research on endangered plants and animals is a regulated activity. State and federal permits may be required for certain species. 

Step 4: Species Effect Determinations 

Identify stressors or effects to the species and to the essential physical and biological features of any critical habitat that overlaps with the Action Area. Are any species likely to be exposed to stressors caused by the proposed action? Consider all consequences of the action and assess the potential for each life stage of the species that occurs in the Action Area to be exposed to the stressors. Deconstruct the action into its component parts to be sure that you do not miss any part of the action that could cause effects to the species. 

For each species included in the IPaC report, conclude whether the project will have 鈥渘o effect鈥� or 鈥渕ay affect鈥� a species.  

  • A 鈥榥o effect鈥� conclusion would be appropriate if the proposed action 鈥� or other activities that are caused by the proposed action 鈥� would have no consequences to listed species or critical habitat. Concurrence from the Service is not required.
  • A 鈥榤ay affect鈥� determination would be appropriate if the proposed action 鈥� or other activities that are caused by the proposed action 鈥� may have consequences to listed species or critical habitat.  
  • If a 鈥渕ay affect鈥� determination is made for a species, please include all conservation measures proposed to avoid, minimize, or mitigate for potential impacts. This will help you determine if a may affect determination is 鈥渓ikely to adversely affect鈥� or 鈥渘ot likely to adversely affect鈥� the species.
  • A proposed action warrants a "may affect, not likely to be adversely affect" finding when its effects 鈥� and the effects of other activities that are caused by the proposed action 鈥� are wholly beneficial, insignificant or discountable. Beneficial effects have contemporaneous positive effects without any adverse effects to the species or habitat.  Insignificant effects relate to the size of the impact and include those effects that are undetectable, not measurable, or cannot be evaluated.  Discountable effects are those extremely unlikely to occur. These determinations require informal consultation and written concurrence from the Service.
  • A proposed action warrants a 鈥渕ay affect, likely to adversely affect鈥� finding when the proposed action 鈥� or other activities caused by the proposed action 鈥� will have negative consequences to listed species or resources. These determinations require formal consultation and written concurrence from the Service. 

Determination Keys

Note that when in IPaC, any available Determination Keys will be identified. Determination Keys (Dkeys) are logically structured sets of questions designed to assist users in determining if a project qualifies for a pre-determined consultation outcome based on existing programmatic consultations or internal USFWS standing analyses. Qualifying projects can generate USFWS concurrence letters instantly through IPaC. Dkeys provide consistent and transparent outcomes and significantly reduce the time to complete consultation for qualifying projects.

To use a Dkey, follow the instructions below:

  1. After requesting a species list, you can click Next Step: Determination Keys. Or, from the Project Home, click Start Review.
  2. Select Evaluate for the appropriate key
  3. Review the key description and click Check If My Project Qualifies. You will be asked Qualification Interview questions to determine whether the key applies to your project. The Dkey will ask you a series of yes/no questions. Select the appropriate radio button to indicate your response. If you make an incorrect selection, you can click on Change Answer to go back and change your response. If you answer questions that indicate the key does not apply, you will be notified that your project is outside the scope of the key and will not be allowed to continue.
  4. If your project qualifies for the Dkey, you will also be asked questions to help you reach an effects determination for species that are on your species list and covered by the key. You may be offered conservation measures to help avoid adverse effects to listed species. Continue to answer yes/no questions about your project, including whether you are willing to agree to conservation measures. For some questions, you can click on hyperlinks or hover over underlined text to get additional clarification. Some questions, called 鈥渟emantic questions鈥�, are answered for you automatically based on previous input or spatial data embedded within the Dkey.
  5. After you finish answering questions about your project, you will be given a preliminary determination for species covered by the Dkey. IPaC can then generate a letter for your records with the determinations and copy of all of the questions and answers about your project. Select Generate Consistency (Verification) Letter to receive a copy of the letter. At any time from your Project Home Page, you can view the species list and letter in Documents.

Video Demo:

Step 5: Critical Habitat Effect Determinations 

If the IPaC report suggests that the project action area action area
All areas to be affected directly or indirectly by the federal action and not merely the immediate area involved in the action.

Learn more about action area overlaps with federally designated or proposed critical habitat, please evaluate whether project will have 鈥渘o effect鈥� or 鈥渕ay affect鈥� and is 鈥渓ikely to adversely affect鈥� or 鈥渘ot likely to adversely affect鈥� critical habitat. 

Identify stressors or effects to the essential physical and biological features of any critical habitat that overlaps with the action area. Deconstruct the action into its component parts to be sure that you do not miss any part of the action that could cause effects to critical habitat. 

Step 6: Consider Other Federal Trust Resources 

IPaC will also indicate the potential presence of migratory birds and other bird species of concern within the vicinity of the action area. To prevent and minimize potential impacts to migratory birds, please consult the Service鈥檚 Migratory Bird Program Conservation Measures Library.

Step 7: Submit Project Review Package 

Federal agencies and their non-federal designated representatives are not required to contact us for 鈥渘o effect鈥� determinations. For 鈥渕ay affect, not likely to adversely affect鈥� determinations, please submit your project review package, including detailed project description, effects determination, conservation measures, and all supporting documentation. 

Non-Federal applicants may also request a project review to ensure compliance with the Endangered Species Act.  

A complete project review package should include: 

  • Clarify whether the project has a federal nexus, and identify the lead federal agency and, if applicable, designated representative acting on behalf of the federal agency.
  • Project description, including methods, timeline, map of project boundary or Action Area, and specific activities/components of the action
  • Official Species List generated using IPaC (must include USFWS Project Code)
  • Biological Assessments (may include habitat assessments and species survey reports)
  • Effects determinations for species and critical habitat
  • Conservation measures

Also consider the following when submitting your package for review: 

  • Subject line: In your email subject title, indicate your project code (listed on your IPaC report) and county
  • Keep records: Maintain a complete copy of the project review package in your files since it will become an integral part of your official record of compliance.