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Marsh Rice Rat |
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Marsh Rice Rat
In November 2001, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) received an Authorization from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) for the incidental take of the state-threatened marsh rice rat (Oryzomys palustris). Through coordination, the IDNR and IDOT determined that complete avoidance of any take of marsh rice rats was not possible while the IDOT made necessary improvements to IL Rt. 3 in Alexander and Union Counties. To conserve or mitigate impacts to the marsh rice rat, the IDOT minimized the highway footprint, replaced lost habitat off-site and resurveyed the construction site and adjacent rights-of-ways for marsh rice rats after the improvements were completed.
In May 2001, before construction, a mammal survey was conducted by field biologists at the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS). That survey resulted in the capture of five individual marsh rice rats at four locations within a study corridor of 100’ feet on either side of the existing highway centerline. In April 2007, a post-construction re-survey by the INHS at the same locations resulted in the capture of 27 individuals.
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Indiana Bat
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Indiana Bat
The Illinois Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Design and Environment, Illinois State Toll Highway Authority, and Chicago
office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) developed a plan in 2006 for a mist-netting survey in northeastern Illinois to
determine if the federally endangered Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) occurs in the region. The USFWS staff produced a list of 20 survey
areas, primarily in public ownership, in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kankakee, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties that were deemed to provide
high-quality summer habitat for the Indiana bat. Most of these areas included multiple netting sites. The Illinois Natural History
Survey (INHS) conducted the survey during the summers of 2006 and 2007. Mist netting was conducted for 87 nights at 43 sites. This
represented a 176 net-nights of effort (1 net-night = 1 net checked for one night). Following this effort, no Indiana bats were
captured by the INHS. The Indiana bat collected in Chicago in September 1928 remains the only record for the area. Results of the
2006-2007 survey suggest that the Indiana bat is extinct from the northeast corner of the state. Survey results will be used by the
USFWS to clear a number of transportation projects over the next several years that involve impacts to suitable habitat for the
Indiana bat.
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Forked Asterr
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Forked Aster (Aster furcatus)
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) proposed replacement of culverts on IL 71 through Starved Rock State Park. The project was submitted by the District to the Central Office for review in accordance with our environmental survey request process. During the review and early coordination with the Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), the IDOT was notified of the location of listed plants in the area and that Starved Rock State Park was listed as a Natural Area. The Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS), funded by IDOT through a statewide contract, conducted surveys and found a state-threatened plant, Aster furcatus (Forked Aster) in the project area. Various on-site meetings were held with IDNR, INHS and IDOT personnel to determine how to avoid and/or minimize impacts to this plant. During an on-site meeting an additional population was discovered on the side of the canyon. It was agreed by the IDOT that temporary fencing could be placed during construction to avoid that population. The population was marked with flags by the INHS
botanist. The population that occurred at and around the headwall of the culvert
could not be avoided.
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Discussions among IDNR, INHS and IDOT staff resulted in an agreement to dig the plants that were in the construction zone, have them held at a native plant nursery during construction and then replanted back to their original site after construction was completed. The plants were dug in June of 2005 prior to construction. It was planned to replant them in the fall of 2005 after construction was complete, however, construction was not complete in time to replant, so the plants were kept over the winter until the next spring. The plants that were over-wintered at the nursery had a normal to better than average survival rate. The plants were replanted in late March, 2006 and will be monitored for three years. This project was accomplished through extensive coordination and cooperation among the District, IDNR
and Central Office.
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Decurrent False Aster
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Decurrent False Aster
(Boltonia deccurens) The decurrent false
aster (Boltonia decurrens) is a federally threatened plant whose
range includes the floodplains of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers in
Illinois and Missouri. At times, this plant is found within Illinois
Department of Transportation (IDOT) project areas that are located in
floodplains. The IDOT usually is able to avoid impacts to the plant;
however, there are projects where this is not possible.
An example
is the planned New Mississippi River Bridge on the American Bottoms near
St. Louis, Missouri. Early field studies located 22 colonies of the
decurrent false aster scattered over a large area within the project's
study area. Botanical reports were coordinated with the United States
Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), whose
charge (among others) is to protect endangered and threatened
species. In response to the submittal, the USFWS prepared a
technical assistance letter and recommended that the IDOT prepare a
Biological Assessment
(BA) to
address the mitigation of impacts to the decurrent false aster. A BA
was prepared by the IDOT and coordinated with the USFWS. In their
Biological Opinion (BO), the
USFWS concluded that the project was not likely to jeopardize the
continued existence of the species.
The BO includes four Conservation Recommendations. The recommendations
are discretionary activities to minimize or avoid adverse effects of a
proposed action on listed species or critical habitat, to help implement
Recovery Plans or to develop information. The four recommendations are
as follows: monitor existing colonies of boltonia within the limits of
the study area to determine if they are stable or expanding, establish
colonies of boltonia within acquired wetland mitigation sites, monitor
established colonies and acquire conservation easements on ground
containing the largest concentrations of boltonia. |
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The IDOT agreed to
implement the recommendations and to guide these activities a Recovery
and Monitoring Plan for Boltonia was prepared by the
Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS). The five-year effort began in
2002. Annual reports of the Decurrent False Aster (Boltonia decurrens)
Recovery Project were prepared by the INHS. The effort concluded in
2006.The USFWS, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the
IDOT met in 2007 to discuss results of the effort. A
Boltonia Presentation
summarizing early coordination with the USFWS and the conclusions of
annual reports was given by the IDOT. The INHS concluded that none of
the existing 22 colonies of boltonia that were monitored could be
considered stable or expanding (a goal of the decurrent false aster
Recovery Team) and attempts to establish new colonies within wetland
compensation sites failed. INHS scientist’s conclusions parallel
current knowledge of boltonia, that absent flood disturbance the species
tends to decline and that the establishment of new colonies is more
difficult that one might suspect given the species local distribution.
The 80-acre IDOT-owned wetland mitigation site near Fairmont City, IL
will be planned to conserve the decurrent false aster and may function
as a conservation bank for the species on future IDOT projects.
Termination of the effort to
implement the conservation recommendations was documented in a letter to
the USFWS. Additional Information:
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