Rock carvings, or petroglyphs, can be found around Columbia River Gorge, an interpretive site for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. - FWS Photo by Jane Ledwin.

Bonneville Dam is located 40 miles east of Portland. The dam was built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to generate electrical power. - FWS Photo by Jane Ledwin.

Fish ladders at Bonneville Dam help native fish species travel upstream during spawning seasons. - FWS Photo by Jane Ledwin.

Fish and Wildlife biologist Jane Ledwin represented Missouri Ecological Services as a guest instructor for the environmental module for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Annual Planning Associates (PA) Training in Portland, Oregon this June. 

The PA program is an advanced training opportunity in water resources planning whose goal is to broaden planner’s competencies in solving complex water resources challenges. 

This was the third year staff from Region 3 Ecological Services has provided instruction and perspective regarding our agencies shared responsibilities for federally listed species. 

Ledwin joined three instructors from Corps staff and a NOAA fisheries biologist, and this year’s class consisted of 10 planners from Districts across the country. 

During the PA Training, Ledwin joined the class on a field tour of the Columbia Gorge and heard from Corps dam operators, rangers at the Bonneville Dam and Fish Hatchery, and tribal natural resource professionals at Celilo Village. 

The class explored many issues surrounding operations of the Columbia River including recreation demands, fish passage and habitat alterations, hydropower requirements, and significant federal responsibilities to the region’s Native Americans. 

The class used the tour as a springboard for focused discussions on Corps water resources planning, including presentations on NEPA, the FWCA, and numerous internal Corps policies and guidelines. 

Ledwin provided a primer on the Endangered Species Act, with special attention on the intent of the Act, and the federal responsibilities under Sections 7(a)(1) and 7(a)(2).  Ledwin emphasized the importance of early and frequent communication to take advantage of opportunities and flexibility during the initial stages of project development. 

She also underscored the Congressional intent of a well reasoned, credible federal approach to conservation of federally listed species, rather than an adversarial approach between agencies.  In her presentation, Ledwin emphasized that success depends on collaborative problem solving and bringing everyone's ingenuity and expertise to these often complex and controversial projects. 

The training session culminated in a panel discussion between instructors and students on the continually evolving world of water resource development projects. Ledwin was impressed with the Corps planning program and plans to continue this exciting partnership in the future.