Transcript Turtles Lessons Learned and the Gulf Regional Biological

Turtles
Lessons Learned and
the Gulf Regional Biological
Opinion
Bob Prince
Chief, Operations and Regulatory
Community of Practice
South Atlantic Division
Gulf Regional Biological Opinion
(GRBO)/Management Protocol
• Three Divisions – SWD, MVD, SAD
• Four Districts
– Galveston
– New Orleans
– Mobile
– Jacksonville
Executive Advisory Group (EAG)
• Operations Chiefs – Three Divisions
– Policy and oversight
– Decisions, in consultation with Districts,
dealing with ceasing dredging
– Communicate frequently
– Meet annually
– Annual review of GRBO Protocol
Federal Projects
• District trigger points
• Reasonable and prudent measures
• Districts engage EAG
– Four turtle takes – any species or three
endangered
– Seventy five percent of District “trigger
point” limit
Federal Projects (continued)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Hopper Dredge Inspection
Silent Inspector
Sea Turtle Deflecting Dragheads
Sea Turtle Observers
Inflow/Overflow Screens
Pre-trawling Condition and Abundance
Surveys
Relocation Trawling
Federal Projects (continued)
• Take one or two (Threatened or
Endangered)
– Continue dredging
– Simultaneously perform risk assessment
– Develop Risk Management Plan and
implement
Federal Projects (continued)
– At three turtles – District notify EAG
– At four turtle takes – engage EAG
– At first Sturgeon take – District notify EAG
– At two Sturgeon takes – District engage EAG
– EAG remains engaged throughout the
remainder of the project
(Note – Dredging continues as all the above occurs)
COE Permitted Projects
• No District trigger points
• Reasonable and prudent measures
• Districts engage EAG
– Four turtle takes – any species or three
endangered
– Seventy five percent of incidental take limit for
any species
• Role of Permittee’s Consultant
– Dredge Inspection
– Risk Assessment
COE Permitted Projects
(continued)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Hopper Dredge Inspection
Silent Inspector
Sea Turtle Deflecting Dragheads
Sea Turtle Observers
Inflow/Overflow Screens
Pre-trawling Condition and Abundance
Surveys
Relocation Trawling
COE Permitted Projects
(continued)
• Take one or two (Threatened or
Endangered)
–
–
–
–
Stop dredging
Perform risk assessment
Develop Risk Management Plan and implement
District reviews and concurs – dredging may
continue
COE Permitted Projects
(continued)
– At three turtles – District notify EAG
– At four turtle takes – engage EAG
– At first Sturgeon take – District notify EAG
– At two Sturgeon takes – District engage EAG
– EAG remains engaged throughout the
remainder of the project
(Note – Dredging stops at each take – turtle or sturgeon)
Relocation Trawling Takes
•
•
•
•
•
•
Same for Federal and COE Permitted Projects
Use as conditions dictate
Plan for Sea Turtle Relocation Trawling
No District “Trigger Points”
Keep ERDC informed on relocations
If lethal/injurious take occurs – Notifications
– District, NMFS, and ERDC
Separate RBO
• Preferred alternative, but,
unsuccessful during discussions with
NMFS
• Separate take limits – Federal and
Permitted projects
• If either Federal takes or Permitted
takes nearly exhausted/exhausted Reconsult with NMFS