Work Windows
For project areas where the northwestern pond turtle or southwestern pond turtle are known or assumed to occur, avoid work during the following windows:
-For project activities that involve in-water/dewatering work, work will be avoided from October 1 to March 31.
-For project activities within 500 meters (1604.4 feet) of suitable nesting habitat (i.e. sunny, open grasslands and ruderal habitat or bare soil), avoid disturbing nesting adult females from May 15 to July 31 for the northwestern pond turtle (except May 1 to July 31 in the San Joaquin Valley) and May 1 to July 31 for the southwestern pond turtle unless wildlife exclusion fencing has been installed around all suitable nesting habitat within the proposed project footprint prior to the start of the nesting season (i.e., prior to May 15 for the northwestern pond turtle (except prior to May 1 in the San Joaquin Valley) and prior to May 1 for the southwestern pond turtle).
-For project activities in overwintering habitat (e.g. muddy pond bottoms), work will be avoided from October 1 to March 31 (September 1 to April 30 above 3,500 feet elevation) unless wildlife exclusion fencing has been installed around all suitable overwintering habitat within the proposed project footprint prior to the start of the overwintering season (i.e., prior to October 1 at elevations < 3,500 feet and prior to September 1 at elevations >3,500 feet). Alternatively, if installation of wildlife exclusion fencing around all overwintering habitat is not feasible, then all suitable overwintering cover (e.g. leaf litter layer, woody debris) will be removed from the project footprint before overwintering begins (i.e., prior to October 1 at elevations < 3,500 feet and prior to September 1 at elevations >3,500 feet), and will be maintained daily free of suitable overwintering cover. A qualified biologist will also search all mammal burrows for overwintering western pond turtles and move them out of harm’s way. The qualified biologist then may collapse the burrows to prevent their usage by overwintering western pond turtles.
-For project activities in aestivation habitat (e.g., upland habitat (e.g. leaf litter) within 500 meters (1,640.4 feet) of suitable aquatic habitat), work will be avoided when nearby seasonal aquatic habitat is dry unless wildlife exclusion fencing has been installed around all suitable aestivation habitat within the proposed project footprint before nearby seasonal aquatic habitats dry up.
Work windows may be modified via completion of the ESA Section 7(a)(2) Review Form and local Field Office approval.