Section 564.115 - Protection and conservation programs; action by state agencies; alternatives; findings required if agency fails to adopt alternatives(1) In developing protection and conservation programs pursuant to ORS 564.105 (3), the State Department of Agriculture shall consult with other states having a common interest in particular threatened species or endangered species and with other affected state agencies.(2) In furtherance of programs to conserve or protect threatened species or endangered species under ORS 564.105 to 564.115, state agencies shall consult and cooperate with the department and any other state agency that has established programs to conserve or protect threatened species or endangered species. Before a state agency takes, authorizes or provides direct financial assistance to any activity on land owned or leased by the state, or for which the state holds a recorded easement, the state agency, in consultation with the department, shall: (a) Determine that the action on land owned or leased by the state or for which the state holds a recorded easement is consistent with a program established by the department pursuant to ORS 564.105(3); or(b) If no program has been established for the listed species, determine whether such action has the potential to appreciably reduce the likelihood of the survival or recovery of any species of plant that is threatened or endangered.(3) If a state agency determines that a proposed action on land owned or leased by the state, or for which the state holds a recorded easement, has the potential to appreciably reduce the likelihood of the survival or recovery of any species that is a threatened species or an endangered species, it shall notify the department. Within 90 days, the department shall recommend reasonable and prudent alternatives, if any, to the proposed action which are consistent with conserving and protecting the affected species.(4) If a state agency fails to adopt the alternatives identified under subsection (3) of this section, after consultation with the department, it shall make findings to demonstrate that:(a) The potential public benefits of the proposed action outweigh the potential harm from failure to adopt the alternatives; and(b) Reasonable mitigation and enhancement measures shall be taken, to the extent practicable, to minimize the adverse impact of the action on the affected species.(5) When an action under this section is initiated by a person other than a state agency, the agency shall provide final approval or denial of the proposed action within 120 days of receipt of a written request for final determination.(6) An action initiated by a person other than a state agency that has met the standards or mitigation requirements of a federal agency for a particular species under the federal Endangered Species Act of 1973 (P.L. 93-205, 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), as amended, shall be deemed to meet the requirements of ORS 564.100 to 564.130.(7) The provisions of this section do not apply to lands acquired through foreclosures of loans made pursuant to programs of the Department of Veterans' Affairs.