How to Submit an Endangered Species Act (ESA) Section 7 Consultation Request.

1. Where do I submit my Section 7 consultation request?  

We require that all ESA Section 7 consultation requests/packages be submitted electronically to nmfs.ser.esa.consultations@noaa.gov (copy and paste the email address). Please note this email restricts file sizes to 25mb. Any larger files will need to be split or shared on a data-sharing portal (e.g., PKZIP®, WinZip®, Google Drive) for us to download.

NOAA Fisheries Southeast Region has a large consultation tracking system that uses the official email address above (nmfs.ser.esa.consultations@noaa.gov) for all of our consultation requests. To avoid confusion and delays, please DO NOT submit a hard-copy of your request, and please DO NOT submit electronic requests to individual email addresses other than the official inbox. 

2. What do I need to submit?

For projects that are minor (i.e., projects that do not meet the definition of “major federal actions”, as defined in 50 CFR § 404.02), please submit all requests for consultation in the Expedited consultation format. More information on the Expedited process and writing resources for preparing letter of concurrence requests can be found at: www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast/consultations/expedited-informal-consultations

For major construction activities, please submit your Biological Assessment (BA) electronically to the email address above.  Information on BAs can be found in the ESA Section 7 Handbook found here.

ESA Questions

For general questions about ESA concerns or the ESA Section 7 consultation process, send your request to nmfs.ser.esa.consultations@noaa.gov (copy and paste link) and include “ESA QUESTION” in the subject line to ensure your request is routed properly.

Return to the Southeast Region's ESA Section 7 Interagency Consultation main page here.