A Programmatic ESA Consultation Framework for Bridge Construction and Maintenance in Illinois

Details

• Creators:
  Salas, Dan ; Petraitis, Megan ; Little, Alison
• Corporate Creators:
  Illinois Center for Transportation
• Corporate Contributors:
  Illinois. Department of Transportation ; United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Highway Administration
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Bridge construction
  • Bridge management systems
  • Transportation departments
  • Infrastructure
  • Compliance
  • Floods
• Publication/ Report Number:
  26-017
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.36501/0197-9191/26-017
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States ; Illinois
• Corporate Publisher:
  Illinois Center for Transportation
• Abstract:
  Transportation agencies are required to comply with Endangered Species Act (ESA) Section 7 obligations for bridge and highway projects that intersect aquatic and floodplain habitats supporting federally listed species. In Illinois, bridge construction, replacement, maintenance, and repair activities frequently overlap with the ranges of federally listed freshwater mussels, the pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus), and the threatened floodplain plant decurrent false aster (Boltonia decurrens). Project-by-project consultation for these routine actions can create administrative bottlenecks and add costs and delays in project delivery. This technical brief summarizes the development and application of the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) Aquatic Species Bridge Replacement Programmatic Agreement (PA). The PA is a coordinated framework developed by the Illinois Department of Transportation with support from the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The PA establishes standardized consultation pathways, effect determination criteria, and conservation measures applicable to bridge-related transportation activities with a federal ESA nexus. Covered actions are categorized by location (riparian versus instream) and by their anticipated biological effects, allowing low- or no-impact projects to proceed without separate, project-specific ESA consultation.
• Format:
  PDF
• Funding:
  ICT-R27-SP79
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/93393/dot_93393_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.23 MB]
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:a484d77bfc0c989356af28fc6243bc13207191e6a4555d62f419f356ac497801e703dbc5a226adf34fd6837414c55423d6d9fff79a9129ea553b3c791173e2b3