The federal Endangered Species Act (FESA) protects federally listed Threatened and Endangered species and their habitats from unlawful take. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) issue take authorizations for listed species under a Section 7 Biological Opinion and Section 10 Habitat Conservation Plan. If a project incorporates sufficient measures to avoided take of the species and their habitat, an incidental take authorization would not be needed. If the USFWS or NMFS determine the proposed action is likely to result in incidental take, an incidental take statement/permit is issued that includes the anticipated amount and extent of take and measures that must be implemented to minimize and monitor the degree of take.

The California Endangered Species Act (CESA) protects species listed by the California Fish and Game Commission as Threatened or Endangered and those that are Candidates for listing. Take of these species and rare plants listed under the Native Plant Protection Act is authorized by the California Department of Fish and Game under Section 2081(b) Incidental Take Permit.

Dr. Christopher has a proven track record in the following aspects of FESA and CESA compliance:

• Biological Opinions
• No Take Concurrences/Not Likely to Adversely Affect Determinations
• Habitat Conservation Plans
• Programmatic Biological Assessments
• CESA Section 2081 Incidental Take Permits
• Fish and Game Code Section 2080.1 Consistency Determinations