The Endangered Species Act (ESA) directs all Federal agencies to work to conserve endangered and threatened species. Section 7 of the Act, called "Interagency Cooperation," is the mechanism by which Federal agencies ensure the actions they take, including those they fund or authorize, do not jeopardize the existence of any listed species.

FTA will coordinate with FRA on the issues associated with the Red Line project and issues associated with existing and proposed rail road facilities in the study area.

Coordinate with FHWA and MDOT, including the development of a Memorandum of Understanding concerning the use of I-70 right-of-way.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will determine whether the applicant has taken sufficient measures to mitigate the project’s impacts to any aquatic resources.  The permit application will include a statement describing how impacts to waters of the U.S. are to be avoided and minimized and either a statement describing how impacts to waters of the U.S. are to be compensated for, or a statement explaining why compensatory mitigation should not be required for the proposed impacts

Transportation conformity ("conformity") is a way to ensure that Federal funding and approval goes to those transportation activities that are consistent with air quality goals. Conformity applies to transportation plans, transportation improvement programs (TIPs), and projects funded or approved by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) or the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) in areas that do not meet or previously have not met air quality standards for ozone, carbon monoxide, particulate matter, or nitrogen dioxide. These areas are known as "nonattainment areas" or "maintenance areas," respectively.

Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act mandates federal agencies undergo a review process for all federally-funded and permitted projects that will impact sites listed on, or eligible for listing on, the National Register of Historic Places. Specifically it requires the federal agency to "take into account" the effect a project may have on historic properties. It allows interested parties an opportunity to comment on the potential impact projects may have on significant archaeological or historic sites. The main purpose for the establishment of the Section 106 review process is to minimize potential harm and damage to historic properties.

This action will be completed in coordination and consultation with the Maryland Historical Trust.

FTA will finalize the Red Line Corridor Transit Study Final Environmental Impact Statement and make it available for public review at least 30 days before the Record of Decision is issued.  The document will be available on the project website: www.baltimoreredline.com.  This document will serve as the Final Environmental Impact Study (FEIS) for the purposes of NEPA.  The FEIS will incorporate comments received on the Draft EIS and will identify and describe the preferred alternative and the basis for that decision.  The FEIS will include discussions about the affected environment, the environmental consequences of the alternatives considered, and the preferred alternative, as well as a summary of the comments received on the DEIS and the coordination that was part of the development of the document.

Publish Notice of Availability of Final Environmental Impact Statement and start public comment period.  The document will be available on the project website: http://www.baltimoreredline.com.

The Record of Decision is the final step in the NEPA process and identifies the selected alternative, presents the basis for the decision, identifies all the alternatives considered, specifies the "environmentally preferable alternative," and provides information on the adopted means to avoid, minimize and compensate for environmental impacts.