Project Review
This on-line project review process can be used by landowners, consultants, agency personnel, and other individuals or groups requiring U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service review or approval of their project within Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia. It provides step-by-step guidance to identify if any threatened or endangered species may be affected by your project. The Service's Information for Planning and Conservation ( ) system will expedite your review.
Telecommunications Tower Maintenance
Projects meeting one or more of these criteria do not require a project review: re-licensing of existing telecommunication facilities; audits of existing facilities associated with acquisition; routine maintenance of existing tower sites; co-location of new antenna facilities on/in existing structures; or repair or replacement of existing towers and/or equipment, provided such activities do not increase the existing tower mass and height, or require the additional of guy wires. For these projects print the online Certification Letter for Telecommunication Tower Projects as documentation of no effect.
Routine Highway Maintenance
The Online Certification Letter for Routine Highway Maintenance has been removed because the construction activities may affect the Northern long-eared bat. If the Northern long-eared bat appears on your species list, please complete the "FHWA, FRA, FTA Programmatic Consultation for Transportation Projects affecting Northern long-eared bat (NLEB) or Indiana Bat" determination key or the Northern Long-eared Bat Rangewide Determination Key. Both of these determination keys can be found in “Step 2: Evaluate determination keys” in our Information for Planning and Consultation (IPaC) web application which can be found at: https://ipac.ecosphere.fws.gov/
For All Other Projects
Define and map the proposed project , defined under the Endangered Species Act, as all areas to be affected directly or indirectly by the project or action. Mark the project footprint and identify the range of impacts including ground disturbance (including access roads), changes in water quality and quantity (both surface and underground water), air quality, lighting effects and noise disturbance. Draw a line around the affected areas. This is the action area.
Use the Service's Information for Planning and Conservation (IPaC) system to determine if any federally listed, proposed or candidate species may be present in your project area. Go to and enter your project into IPaC including location, project area, description and a request for an official species list. The species list can be downloaded from IPaC. Any applicable determination keys can be filled out in IPaC.
If There Are No Listed, Proposed Or Candidate Species
For projects that the Species List indicates that there are no listed, proposed or candidate species found in the action area, the Online Project Review Certification Letter can be used. For these projects, email a complete project review package to cbfoprojectreview@fws.gov. Indicate in subject line Online Project Review Certification Letter. Include the Online Project Review Certification Letter, map of the action area and PDF of the species list from the IPaC site.
If Listed, Proposed Or Candidate Species May Be Present
For projects that the Species List indicates listed or proposed species may be present in the action area, or if a candidate species is present in a project being carried out by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, submit a complete project review package to cbfoprojectreview@fws.gov. Indicate in subject line Project Review Request. Include a letter describing the project, map of action area and the PDF of the preliminary endangered species list from the IPaC site.
For non-Service projects that only have candidate species, download and keep the Online Project Review Certification Letter for your records.
* If the Northern long-eared bat (NLEB) appears on your Official Species List generated from IPaC, use the new “NLEB Rangewide Determination Key” (Dkey) for the NLEB available in IPaC. The Dkey will help you reach an accurate determination for that species. Information on the NLEB and the interim guidance process can be located under the NLEB species profile, NLEB Tools and Guidance Documents for Stakeholders.
Hibernacula for this species is currently found in Allegany, Garrett and Washington Counties in Maryland and New Castle County in Delaware. Roosts for this species is currently found in Garrett, Allegany, Frederick and Montgomery Counties in Maryland; New Castle County, Delaware and Washington, DC.
* The Puritan tiger beetle (Cicindela puritana) is protected by both the federal Endangered Species Act and the Maryland Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Act. If your Puritan tiger beetles are identified with your project's location, refer to the Project Review for Activities Affecting Puritan Tiger Beetles in Chesapeake Bay; a multi-agency review process that is more efficient for the applicant.
For All Wind Energy Projects
For all Wind Energy Projects, regardless of the determination of the Species List, complete and email a complete project review package to cbfoprojectreview@fws.gov. Indicate in subject line Wind Energy Project. Include a letter describing the project, map of the action area and the PDF of the species list from the IPaC site. The Service has developed voluntary guidelines for inland wind energy project to avoid and minimize impacts on wildlife and their habitats. When submitting your package to this office, include detailed information on how you will apply the guidelines. Offshore wind guidelines have not been developed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at this time.
All project review packages will receive a return receipt. Please note that any single email, including attachments, must be smaller than 25 MB. If larger than 25 MB, spread out multiple attachments among several emails (using the same subject name and project reference) or mail the project review package to:
Project Review
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Chesapeake Bay Field Office
177 Admiral Cochrane Drive
Annapolis, MD 21401
Until your project is completed, update your official species list through IPaC every 90 days to ensure that species information for your action area is current. This can be done by returning to the IPaC home page and clicking on Need An Updated Species List. Maintain complete copies of these documents in your files since they are part of your official record of compliance.
