Which agency should be contacted for projects in riverine habitat versus in estuarine or marine areas?
A31: The FWS will maintain primary responsibility for recovery actions in fresh water and the NMFS will assist in and continue to fund recovery actions pertaining to estuarine and marine habitats. In riverine units, the FWS will be responsible for all consultations regarding Gulf sturgeon and critical habitat. In estuarine units, we will divide responsibility based on the action agency involved. The FWS will consult with the Department of Transportation, Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. NMFS will consult with the Department of Defense, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Minerals Management Service, and any other Federal agencies not mentioned here explicitly. In marine units, NMFS will be responsible for all consultations regarding Gulf sturgeon and critical habitat. For any Federal projects that extend into the jurisdiction of both the Services, as defined above, FWS will be the lead consulting agency, and coordinate intern
