Chesapeake Bay Field Office
Northeast Region

 

Conservation Planning Assistance

CBFO biologist wiith completed nesting structure on Poplar Island. Photo by Pete McGowan, USFWS
CBFO biologist with completed nesting structure on Poplar Island. Photo by Pete McGowan

Conservation Planning Assistance Program is responsible for evaluating federal water resources projects, Corps of Engineers permit applications and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission licenses for hydropower dams, and conducting environmental impact assessments.

The Conservation Planning Assistance Program strives to provide fish and wildlife information early in project planning before commitments of resources are made. This is accomplished through:

  • Evaluating the impacts of water resource development projects on fish and wildlife;
  • Making recommendations to mitigate (avoid, reduce and compensate for) these impacts and enhance fish and wildlife and their habitats;
  • Providing technical assistance to private individuals, organizations and businesses regarding project impacts.

Projects evaluated by the Conservation Planning Assistance Program include flood control, navigation, water supply, hydroelectric power, irrigation, private development, recreation, streambank and shoreline protection and beach nourishment. Authority for much of the Federal Activities Program is due to several laws.

The Fish and Wildlife Service and many other Federal, State, and local entities are involved in the Poplar Island Restoration Project which will create a 1,110-acre island from dredged material placement, approximating the island's historic configuration in 1847.

Reports
• Washington Aqueduct Sediment Discharges: Report of Panel Recommendations [PDF]
• 2001 Baseline Wetland Vegetation Monitoring for the Poplar Island Restoration Project [PDF] 4.4 mb
• Assessment of Endocrine Disruption in Smallmouth Bass and Largemouth Bass in the Potomac River Watershed [PDF] 1.4mb
Last updated: January 6, 2011