ML25357A068
| ML25357A068 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Hatch  |
| Issue date: | 12/23/2025 |
| From: | US Dept of Interior, Fish & Wildlife Service |
| To: | Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, Southern Nuclear Operating Co |
| References | |
| 2026-0023060 | |
| Download: ML25357A068 (0) | |
Text
12/04/2025 19:39:32 UTC United States Department of the Interior FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE Georgia Ecological Services Field Office 355 East Hancock Avenue Room 320 Athens, GA 30601-2523 Phone: (706) 613-9493 Fax: (706) 613-6059 Email Address: gaes_assistance@fws.gov In Reply Refer To:
Project Code: 2026-0023060 Project Name: Hatch SLR
Subject:
List of threatened and endangered species that may occur in your proposed project location or may be affected by your proposed project To Whom It May Concern:
Thank you for requesting information on federally listed species and important wildlife habitats that may occur in your project area. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is responsible for managing certain species of wildlife under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973 as amended (16 USC 1531 et seq.), Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) as amended (16 USC 701-715), Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (48 Stat. 401, as amended; 16 U.S.C. 661 et seq.)
and Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act as amended (16 USC 668-668c). We provide the following guidance for understanding which federally protected species and critical habitats may occur within your project area and to recommend conservation measures for your project if you determine those species or designated critical habitats may be affected by the project activities.
Federally-listed Species and Critical Habitat Under the ESA, it is the responsibility of the Federal action agency, their designated non-Federal representative, or a project proponent to determine if a proposed action "may affect" endangered, threatened, or proposed species, or designated critical habitat, and if so, to consult with the Service. Similarly, it is the responsibility of the Federal action agency or project proponent, not the Service, to make no effect determinations. If you determine that your proposed action will have no effect on threatened or endangered species or their respective critical habitat, you do not need to seek concurrence with the Service. Nevertheless, it is a violation of Federal law to harm or harass any federally listed threatened or endangered fish or wildlife species without the appropriate permit. If you need additional guidance to inform your effect determination, please contact the Service.
If you determine that your proposed action may affect federally listed species, please consult with the Service. Through the consultation (for projects seeking Federal funding or permitting) or technical assistance (for non-Federal projects) process, we will work with you to evaluate
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2 of 9 information contained in a biological assessment or equivalent documents that you provide. If your proposed action is associated with Federal funding or permitting, consultation will occur with the Federal agency under section 7(a)(2) of the ESA. Otherwise, an incidental take permit pursuant to section 10(a) (1)(B) of the ESA (also known as a Habitat Conservation Plan) may be necessary to exempt "take" of federally listed threatened or endangered fish or wildlife species when it cannot be avoided.
Action Area. The scope of ESA compliance includes direct and indirect effects of project activities (e.g., equipment staging areas, offsite borrow material areas, or utility relocations). The "action area" is the spatial extent of an actions direct and indirect modifications or impacts to the land, water, or air (50 CFR 402.02). Large projects may have effects to land, water, or air outside the immediate footprint of the project, and these areas should be included as part of the action area. Effects to land, water, or air outside of a project footprint could include things like lighting, dust, smoke, and noise. To obtain a complete list of species, the action area should be uploaded or drawn in IPaC rather than just the project footprint. Please note that a lead federal agency may consider an action area that excludes portions of the project footprint. In these cases, further coordination with our office may be required to ensure compliance with the ESA. It is the responsibility of the project proponent to coordinate with the lead federal agency to understand the action and action area being reviewed as part of ESA Section 7 consultation.
New information based on updated surveys, changes in the abundance and distribution of species, changed habitat conditions, or other factors could change this list. Please feel free to contact us if you need more assistance regarding the potential impacts to federally proposed, listed, and candidate species and federally designated and proposed critical habitat. Please note that under 50 CFR 402.12(e) of the regulations implementing section 7 of the Act, the accuracy of this species list should be verified after 90 days. An updated list may be requested through IPaC.
How to Submit a Project Review If your action may affect any federally listed species and you would like technical assistance from our office, please send us a complete project review package. A step-by-step guide is available below and supplemental guidance is available at the Georgia Ecological Services Project Planning and Review page (https://www.fws.gov/office/georgia-ecological-services/
project-planning-review).
Requests for threatened and endangered species project reviews must be submitted to our office using the process described below. All steps must be completed to ensure your project is reviewed by a biologist in our office and you receive a timely response.
Step 1. Request an official species list for your project through IPaC. You have just completed this step.
Step 2. Complete applicable Determination Keys (DKey's, for short)
Step 3. Send your complete project project review package to gaes_assistance@fws.gov for review if no DKey is applicable or certain project components have not been addressed (i.e. a
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species returned by IPaC does not have a DKey). A complete project review package should include:
A description of the proposed action, including any measures intended to avoid, minimize, or offset effects of the action. The description shall provide sufficient detail to assess the effects of the action on listed species and critical habitat, such as the purpose of the action; duration and timing of the action; location (latitude and longitude); specific activities involving disturbance to land, water, and air, and how they will be carried out; current description of areas to be affected directly or indirectly by the action; and maps, drawings, or similar schematics of the action. Please submit all areas of a project as one single submission and do not separate into smaller components/submissions.
An updated Official Species List and Determination Key results Biological Assessments (may include habitat assessments and information on the presence of listed species in the action area);
Description of effects of the action on species in the action area and, if relevant, effect determinations for species and critical habitat; Conservation measures and any other available information related to the nature and scope of the proposed action relevant to its effects on listed species or designated critical habitat (e.g., management plans related to stormwater, vegetation, erosion and sediment plans).
Visit the Georgia Conservation Planning Toolbox for more information.
In the email subject line, use the following format to include the Project Code from your IPaC species list and the county in which the project is located (Example: Project Code:
2023-0049730 Gwinnett Co.). For Georgia Department of Transportation related projects, please work with the Office of Environmental Services ecologist to determine the appropriate USFWS transportation liaison.
Our team will respond within approximately 30 days of receipt with technical assistance and recommendations.
Wetlands and Floodplains Federal agencies are required to minimize the destruction, loss, or degradation of wetlands and floodplains, and preserve and enhance their natural and beneficial values. These habitats should be conserved through avoidance, or mitigated to ensure that there would be no net loss of wetlands function and value. We encourage you to use the National Wetland Inventory (NWI) maps in conjunction with ground-truthing to identify wetlands occurring in your project area. We also recommend you contact the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for permitting requirements under section 404 of the Clean Water Act if your proposed action could impact floodplains or wetlands.
Migratory Birds The MBTA prohibits the taking of migratory birds, nests, and eggs, except as permitted by the Services Migratory Birds Program. To minimize the likelihood of adverse impacts to migratory birds, we recommend construction activities occur outside the general bird nesting season from March through August, or that areas proposed for construction during the nesting season be surveyed, and when occupied, avoided until the young have fledged. Information related to
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Bald and Golden Eagles The Service works to manage and conserve both bald eagle and golden eagle populations. We provide guidance on living and working near eagles, updates on the status of the populations of bald and golden eagles, and permits for the take, possession, or transportation of eagles and their parts, nests, and eggs. For more information, please visit the Service's Eagle Management page.
Other Species Considerations Bats. If your species list includes Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis), northern long-eared bat (M.
septentrionalis), or tricolored bat (Perimyotis subflavus) and the project is expected to impact forested habitat, tree clearing should occur outside of the periods when bats may be present and most vulnerable. Federally listed bats could be actively present in forested landscapes from spring through fall of any year. In much of Georgia, our winters are mild enough that tricolored bats are likely active on the landscape to some extent year-round. Pups are incapable of flight and vulnerable to disturbance from the spring to summer. Our recommended seasonal clearing restriction windows depend on species and region in Georgia. Please reach out to us for guidance.
Indiana, northern long-eared, tricolored, and gray (M. grisescens) bats are all known to utilize bridges and culverts in Georgia. If your project includes maintenance, construction, or any other modification or demolition to transportation structures, a qualified individual should complete a survey of these structures for bats and submit your findings via the GADNR Bats in Bridges form in the Survey123 App, free on Apple and Android devices. Please include these findings in any biological assessment(s) or other documentation that is submitted to our office for technical assistance or consultation.
Eastern Indigo Snake. The Standard Protection Measures for the Eastern Indigo Snake (Drymarchon couperi) include educational materials and training that can help protect the species by making staff working on a project site aware of their presence and traits. In Georgia, indigo snakes are closely associated with the state-listed gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus),
a reptile that excavates extensive underground burrows that provide the snake shelter from winter cold and summer desiccation. To assist project proponents in avoiding and minimizing potential impact to the eastern indigo snake, the Service provides the Visual Encounter Survey Protocol for the Eastern Indigo Snake (Drymarchon couperi) in Georgia for project proponents or their designees to evaluate the possible presence of the Eastern indigo snake at a proposed project site.
Solar Energy Development The Recommended Practices for the Responsible Siting and Design of Solar Development in Georgia, Version 2.0 (published in May 2024) are intended to provide voluntary guidance to support consideration of natural resources during the development of photovoltaic solar in Georgia. Furthermore, the Georgia Low Impact Solar Siting Tool (LISST) is also available as a map layer in IPaC (Find it in the Layers Box > Environmental Data) to provide project managers with the data to identify areas that may be preferred for low-impact development. The
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tool seeks to support the acceleration of large-scale solar development in areas with less impact to the environment.
State Agency Coordination Environmental review staff at the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GA DNR) Wildlife Conservation Section can assist with information requests and the review of Georgia rare species and natural community data for specific projects or actions within the state. Please visit their Environmental Review page. Additional information that addresses at-risk or high priority natural resources can be found in the Georgia State Wildlife Action Plan, at Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division Biodiversity Portal, Georgia's Natural, Archaeological, and Historic Resources GIS portal pages.
Thank you for your concern for endangered and threatened species. We appreciate your efforts to identify and avoid impacts to listed and sensitive species in your project area. For further consultation on your proposed activity, please email gaes_assistance@fws.gov and reference the project county and your FWS Project Number. This letter constitutes Georgia Ecological Services general comments under the authority of the Endangered Species Act.
Attachment(s):
Official Species List OFFICIAL SPECIES LIST This list is provided pursuant to Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, and fulfills the requirement for Federal agencies to "request of the Secretary of the Interior information whether any species which is listed or proposed to be listed may be present in the area of a proposed action".
This species list is provided by:
Georgia Ecological Services Field Office 355 East Hancock Avenue Room 320 Athens, GA 30601-2523 (706) 613-9493
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SUMMARY
Project Code:
2026-0023060 Project Name:
Hatch SLR Project Type:
Power Gen - Nuclear Project
Description:
SLR Project Location:
The approximate location of the project can be viewed in Google Maps: https://
www.google.com/maps/@31.933188,-82.34760252409069,14z Counties: Appling and Toombs counties, Georgia
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ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT SPECIES There is a total of 6 threatened, endangered, or candidate species on this species list.
Species on this list should be considered in an effects analysis for your project and could include species that exist in another geographic area. For example, certain fish may appear on the species list because a project could affect downstream species.
IPaC does not display listed species or critical habitats under the sole jurisdiction of NOAA Fisheries, as USFWS does not have the authority to speak on behalf of NOAA and the Department of Commerce.
See the "Critical habitats" section below for those critical habitats that lie wholly or partially within your project area under this office's jurisdiction. Please contact the designated FWS office if you have questions.
NOAA Fisheries, also known as the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), is an office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration within the Department of Commerce.
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8 of 9 MAMMALS NAME STATUS Tricolored Bat Perimyotis subflavus No critical habitat has been designated for this species.
Species profile: https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp/species/10515 Proposed Endangered BIRDS NAME STATUS Red-cockaded Woodpecker Dryobates borealis No critical habitat has been designated for this species.
Species profile: https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp/species/7614 Threatened REPTILES NAME STATUS Eastern Indigo Snake Drymarchon couperi No critical habitat has been designated for this species.
Species profile: https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp/species/646 Threatened Southern Hognose Snake Heterodon simus No critical habitat has been designated for this species.
Species profile: https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp/species/3248 Proposed Threatened CLAMS NAME STATUS Altamaha Spinymussel Elliptio spinosa There is final critical habitat for this species. Your location overlaps the critical habitat.
Species profile: https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp/species/6920 Endangered INSECTS NAME STATUS Monarch Butterfly Danaus plexippus There is proposed critical habitat for this species. Your location does not overlap the critical habitat.
Species profile: https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp/species/9743 Proposed Threatened CRITICAL HABITATS There is 1 critical habitat wholly or partially within your project area under this office's jurisdiction.
NAME STATUS Altamaha Spinymussel Elliptio spinosa https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp/species/6920#crithab Final
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9 of 9 IPAC USER CONTACT INFORMATION Agency: Private Entity Name:
Mark Ballard Address: 630 Colonial Park Drive City:
Roswell State:
GA Zip:
30075 Email markballard@ecologicalsolutions.net Phone:
4049158823 LEAD AGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION Lead Agency: Nuclear Regulatory Commission