Central Valley NMFS PBO
What this permitting pathway covers
The Central Valley NMFS Programmatic Biological Opinion (PBO) provides coverage under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act for National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) species for projects in the Central Valley region. Using this pathway is a faster and lower-cost process than writing an individual biological assessment and receiving a separate biological opinion for your project.
Restoration Consistency Determination
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) may issue Restoration Consistency Determinations from this PBO for species listed under the California Endangered Species Act, providing another permitting efficiency. Contact CDFW at restorationpermitting@wildlife.ca.gov about eligibility.
How to use this tool for the Central Valley NMFS PBO
- Use the questions below to filter the list of protection measures from the PBO based on the attributes of your project.
- Once downloaded, closely review the list generated to ensure the measures apply to your project-specific conditions and propose modified measures as appropriate.
- Contact Ruth Goodfield, Marine Habitat Resource Specialist, NOAA Restoration Center (RC) at ruth.goodfield@noaa.gov to discuss your project and applicable protection measures. Specific measures may be altered, added, or removed on an individual project basis with the approval of the NOAA RC and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in coordination with NMFS West Coast Region California Coastal Office.
- Pre-project submittal requirements include a description of applicable protection measures incorporated into the project.