Staff from the Rock Island Ecological Services Field Office, Illinois, have worked in recent months to streamline the way they provide technical assistance to other federal agencies, states, and consultants. 

In March, a letter was sent to consultants designed to help them better understand how to fulfill their agency requirements under the Endangered Species Act. The letter emphasized how to use species lists from the Service’s web sites to help determine the presence or absence of listed species and how to make accurate effect determinations. 

In the months following this initial letter, the number of requests for technical assistance decreased, and Rock Island biologists have seen an increase in letters from consultants that have already assessed whether listed species will be affected by their projects.

In April, staff held a meeting with regulatory and environmental division staff from the Rock Island District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  Rock Island staff initiated the meeting to encourage Corps project managers to make accurate determinations of effect when issuing public notices for Section 404 permits.

The discussion included how to determine if species are present within an action area, and the difference between a “no effect” and “not likely to adversely affect” determination.  Updated maps showing the distribution of listed species in Iowa and Illinois and corresponding habitat descriptions for all listed species were provided to the Corps at the meeting and are routinely supplied to Corps staff when updates are made.

Since the meeting, Corps staff members have started asking applicants for detailed habitat descriptions and sometimes species or habitat surveys to determine the presence or absence of listed species, before a public notice is released.  This cooperative effort has helped reduce the workload for Rock Island staff and expedited the permit process by giving applicants early notice if their proposed project may affect federally listed species.

In May, Rock Island biologist Kristen Lundh started work on a cooperative project with Jennifer Szymanski and Kim Mitchell of the Regional Office, and Tameka Dandridge of the East Lansing Field Office.  The group has been developing a website designed to provide technical assistance for the Endangered Species Act.  The website will provide species lists, and detailed information on how to make determinations.  Example letters and information on writing biological assessments will also be included on the site.  

With these efforts, Rock Island staff expects a reduction in requests for Technical Assistance.  This will allow permitting and funding processes to move more quickly and will permit staff more time to devote to higher priority needs.