Environmental and Economic Assessments to Support "Threatened" Species on the ESA List

Client: Marine Fisheries Service

Location: Olympia, WA

Summary: Under Section 4(d) of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is authorized to adopt regulations to protect species listed as ?threatened.? The listing determination requires, under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RegFlex), that NMFS analyze whether the proposed action has a ?significant? economic impact on a ?substantial? number of small businesses in the affected area. Cardno ENTRIX, prepared economic assessments (EA) for an estimated 15 to 20 proposed listings of anadromous salmon species in the states of California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Cardno ENTRIX was required to identify the geographic area affected by the action, the economic sectors within the area, and the gross income of each sector, and to estimate the potential economic impact of the action on all sectors. Cardno ENTRIX used IMPLAN within the defined region to estimate economic impacts by sector.