Protection Measures Selection Tool

Staging, storage, and stockpile areas must be outside of habitat suitable for Covered Species unless necessary for project implementation and approved by the Action Agency and the USFWS Field Office. Where feasible, staging will occur on access roads or other previously disturbed upland areas, such as developed areas, paved areas, parking lots, areas with bare ground or gravel, and areas clear of vegetation, to avoid sensitive habitats and limit disturbance to surrounding habitats. Similarly, all maintenance equipment and materials (e.g., road rock and project spoil) will be restricted to the existing service roads, paved roads, or other determined designated staging areas. See GPM-010, Equipment Maintenance and Materials Storage, for more details regarding protection measures for materials storage.

Staging areas will be established for equipment storage and maintenance, construction materials, fuels, lubricants, solvents, and other possible contaminants. Staging areas will have a stabilized entrance and exit and will be at least 100 feet from bodies of water, unless site-specific circumstances do not provide such a setback; in such cases, the maximum setback possible will be used. See also IWW-002, In-Water Vehicle Selection and Work Access; and IWW-004, In-Water Staging Areas and Use of Barges. If an off-road staging area is chosen and if Covered Species are potentially present, the Qualified Biologist will survey the selected site to verify that no sensitive resources would be disturbed by staging activities.

Stockpiling of materials, portable equipment, vehicles, and supplies (e.g., chemicals), will be restricted to the designated construction staging areas. If rain is predicted in the forecast during the dry season, and stockpiled soils will remain exposed and unworked for more than 7 days, then erosion and sediment control measures must be used. If there is a high-wind scenario, then soils will be covered at all times. During the wet season, no stockpiled soils will remain exposed, unless properly installed and maintained erosion controls are in place on and around the stockpile. Temporary stockpiling of material onsite will be minimized. Stockpiled material will be placed in upland areas far enough away from Covered Species habitat that these materials cannot discharge to waters of the United States. Additional species-specific erosion control measures may also be necessary because of the potential for listed species at the project site. More detail is provided in Section 2.1.5.3, Guild and Species-Specific Protection Measures.