For some, the downfall of Oregon’s timber industry could be traced to a single culprit: the northern spotted owl. Now another industry exploring its options on the South Coast is taking extra pains to avoid crossing paths with the endangered species.

 The idea of siting a liquefied natural gas terminal on Coos Bay’s North Spit was first broached in the fall of 2004. For the project to break ground, it must obtain approval from various agencies under the umbrella of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. These include the U.S. Coast Guard, National Marine Fishery Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Currently, both the terminal and ancillary pipeline proponents are preparing data for their draft biological assessment. The study will determine whether the project can go forward without significantly disrupting the habitat of endangered species.

Project Manager Bob Braddock, of Jordan Cove Energy, said the assessment may be one of the largest stumbling blocks in the entire process.

“This has more swing weight than FERC has,” he said.

Once the assessment is completed, the information is provided to FERC, then passed on to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fishery Service, which issue a biological opinion. It can give the project a green light, offer suggestions to mitigate negative impacts or argue the proposal cannot proceed.

“If they find impacts that have no mitigation, then it’s done,” Braddock said.

Gathering information for the assessment has been ongoing for more than two years, said Michele Swaner, a spokeswoman for Pacific Connector. Federal offices have been aware of the assessment for most of that time, scheduling meetings to discuss findings.

A draft of the document wasn’t submitted until last month, Braddock said, at which point the route of the pipeline was more definitively established.

It is the pipeline that has the greater potential for disrupting the habitat of a northern spotted owl or some other endangered species.

Running from the proposed LNG terminal in Coos County to Malin, the 230-mile-long, 36-inch pipeline goes through the wide range of owl habitat, as well as the  marbled murrelet’s. It could also have an impact on endangered plant species, including the western lily and Kincaid’s lupine; and a variety of marine life, including the Lost River sucker and Oregon coho.

The terminal construction must take into consideration the plight of the nearby population of snowy plovers.

There is no question the pipeline and terminal will impact these species, said USFWS biologist Greg Smith. It will be up to the Fish and Wildlife Service to determine whether those impacts are acceptable.

Issues of consideration will include how well a species is faring throughout its range and, in particular, where the pipeline will pass. The agency also considers the effects of the project on the species; whether some will die off or be unduly disturbed.

If the pipeline route is found to further endanger a species, Smith said the agency can recommend “micro-siting adjustments” for the pipeline. This would amount to small enough changes so it might travel to the right of a clump of trees instead of the left.

“We are talking tweaks, really,” he said.

The agency may also recommend scheduling construction work during a certain time of year, so as not to impact a species’ nesting season.

“Hopefully we can improve the project so the species are accommodated,” said Fish and Wildlife spokesman Phil Carroll. “Nobody wants a big battle.”

Once the Fish and Wildlife Service receives the assessment, it has 135 days to issues its opinion.

Braddock said he expects the projects’ draft environmental impact statement will come out in late June, so barring delays in that process, the biological opinion will not be included.

FERC staff indicated the assessment sometimes appears in the draft EIS, but it is not uncommon for it to appear afterward. The only requirement is a positive opinion must be returned before construction begins.