Endangered Species Act Section 7(a)(2) Biological Opinion and Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act Essential Fish Habitat Response for the Point Hudson Breakwater Replacement. Point Hudson Breakwater Replacement REINI 2016-4573

Signed Biological Opinion: The proposed action, located within the city of Port Townsend, Washington, would replace the Point Hudson (48.116169 -122.750262) north and south breakwaters within the footprint of the existing breakwaters and designated navigation channel. See Figure 1 below for the existing structures. The project would include the removal and replacement of two existing breakwaters, removal of creosote treated piles, installation of new steel piles, removal and replacement of shoreline armoring, and dredging within the existing navigation channels. The project, when evaluated with the Puget Sound Nearshore Habitat Conservation Calculator, results in net positive conservation credits. The positive credits result from the removal of creosote piles associated with the structure of the jetties. Conservation credits from this project will be applied to offset debits associated with WCRO-2020-00202 (NWS-2019-390) – the Port Townsend Breakwater project, which has the same applicant (Port of Port Townsend). The Port Townsend Breakwater project has not been constructed (upon signing of this Opinion) and was consulted through a batched Biological Opinion issued by NMFS in 2021 (WCRO-2021-01620).