The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is mandated to meet federal, state, and local environmental laws and organizational regulations pertaining to the protection and conservation of ESA (Endangered Species Act 1973)-listed species and associated critical habitats. USACE is also mandated under Executive Order 13112 to document the presence and status of invasive species on their lands. We examine the status of 50 ESA–listed species prioritized by USACE expenditures for ESA compliance from 2014 to 2018. We review the status of invasive species and assess any evidence from published US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) or National Marine Fisheries Service recovery plans or other government documents that indicate whether invasive species are negatively impacting the status of ESA–listed species on USACE lands. We found that 18 of 50 (36%) USFWS recovery plans for these 50 listed species specifically mention invasive species as a primary factor leading to the species’ decline and listing, or they note the need for management and control of invasive species to meet proposed recovery goals. USACE will need to work collaboratively with other federal and state agencies, universities, and nongovernmental organizations to improve control of invasive species and management and recovery of ESA–listed species.

Coastal bird populations in North America have experienced significant population declines over the past four decades, and many species have become dependent upon human-made islands and other sediment-based habitats created through dredged material deposition. We monitored the breeding phenology of coastal bird populations utilizing dredged-material islands and open depositional areas in the Baptiste Collette Bayou in coastal Louisiana. Monitoring began in early May, prior to when most coastal species begin nesting, and continued through late August, when most breeding activity has ceased. Semimonthly surveys included area searches by foot and boat. Two deposition areas and one island supported large numbers of foraging, roosting, or breeding birds; surveys on these areas included using spotting scopes to identify species and count nests or young. Six islands and two open deposition areas were monitored. We also collected high-definition and lidar imagery using an uncrewed aerial system (UAS) in June, during peak nesting season. We recorded 77,474 cumulative detections of 68 species. Virtually all colonial nesting birds (terns and skimmers) nested on Gunn Island in 2021. We discuss these results in the context of dredged-material deposition by the US Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, and offer recommendations for management of these areas.

This technical note was developed by the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center–Environmental Laboratory (ERDC-EL) to provide guidance to the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) on implementing Endangered Species Act* (ESA) Section 7(a)(1) conservation planning, in coordination with the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) during coastal engineering projects. USACE expends ~$200–$300 million each year on compliance, conservation, and other activities associated with the ESA (USACE 2022), and these expenditures often exceed those of other federal agencies (for example, US Bureau of Land Management) that have jurisdiction over far greater land holdings than USACE. To streamline the ESA compliance process, lower costs, and generate more positive outcomes for federally listed threatened and endangered species (TES), USACE was directed in June 2015 by the Deputy Commanding General (DCG) for Civil and Emergency Operations to proactively identify and incorporate conservation benefits into all projects when and where opportunities arise, under the authority of Section 7(a)(1) of the ESA (USACE 2015). The DCG identified Section 7(a)(1) conservation planning as a mechanism to efficiently achieve project purposes, create environmental value, and streamline the ESA Section 7(a)(2) consultation process.

This report presents the results of a long-term trend analyses of seasonal bird community data from a monitoring effort conducted on the Craney Island Dredged Material Management Area (CIDMMA) from 2008 to 2020, Portsmouth, VA. The USACE Richmond District collaborated with the College of William and Mary and the Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory, Waterbird Team, to conduct year-round semimonthly area counts of the CIDMMA to examine species presence and population changes overtime. This effort provides information on the importance of the area to numerous bird species and bird species’ groups and provides an index to those species and group showing significant changes in populations during the monitoring period. We identified those species regionally identified as Highest, High, and Moderate Priority Species based on their status as rare, sensitive, or in need of conservation attention as identified by the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture (ACJV), Bird Conservation Region (BCR), New England/Mid-Atlantic Bird Conservation Area (BCR 30). Of 134 ranked priority species in the region, the CIDMMA supported 102 of 134 (76%) recognized in the BCR, including 16 of 19 (84%) of Highest priority ranked species, 47 of 60 (78.3%) of High priority species, and 39 of 55 (71%) of Moderate priority species for BCR 30. All bird count and species richness data collected were fitted to a negative binomial (mean abundance) or Poisson distribution (mean species richness) and a total of 271 species and over 1.5 million birds were detected during the monitoring period. Most all bird species and species groups showed stable or increasing trends during the monitoring period. These results indicate that the CIDMMA is an important site that supports numerous avian species of local and regional conservation concern throughout the year.

This special report provides a selection process for choosing priority species using the specific focus of high-elevation, forested habitats in the North Atlantic to demonstrate the process. This process includes criteria for choosing invasive species to incorporate into models, given the predicted spread of invasive plant species because of climate change. Discussed in this report are the US Army Corps of Engineers’ Threatened and Endangered Species Team portal, the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Information for Planning and Consultation Portal, the nonprofit organization Partners in Flight’s watch list, the US Geological Survey’s Biodiversity Information Serving Our Nation model, and NatureServe’s interagency effort Landfire. The data linked this montane habitat with a species of conservation concern, Cartharus bicknelli and the endangered squirrel Glaucomys sabrinus as target species and with Elaeagnus umbellate, Robinia pseudoacacia, Rhamnus cathartica, and Acer planoides as invasive species. Incorporating these links into the climate change framework developed by Davis et al. (2018) will create predictive models for the impacts of climate change on TER-S, which will affect land management decisions in the region.

The ESA of 1973 provides framework regulated by

ERDC-EL), to summarize known impacts on seasonal habitats used by migratory shoreline-dependent birds (primarily shorebirds and seabirds) and nesting sea turtles along the Atlantic

PURPOSE: This Technical Note (TN) was developed by the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development CenterEnvironmental Laboratory (ERDC-EL), to provide an introduction to rapid assessment methods that can be used to provide a quantitative index to the abundance and distribution of invasive riparian trees found on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) project lands. The USACE Ecosystem Management and Restoration Research Program (EMRRP) is supporting a nationwide effort to address the impacts of invasive tree species that affect decision making and the ultimate success of ecosystem restoration efforts. This research project has four objectives: (1) identify the suite of invasive woody riparian trees that are most problematic to USACE ecosystem restoration efforts, (2) develop guidelines that suggest thresholds for when and where on the landscape funds should be spent to control invasive trees, (3) determine the most efficient and ecologically-effective spatial configuration for woody invasive riparian plant removal on Corps-managed lands, and (4) investigate how faunal communities respond to various spatial control methods for invasive tree removal in densely vegetated riparian habitats.

Paired throat and cloacal swabs, along with feather samples, from nesting Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) at two sites in Illinois, USA, were tested for presence of invasive bigheaded carp (Hypophthalmichthys spp.) DNA. We also used DNA from the feather calamus to determine cormorant sex. Throat and cloacal swabs from cormorants at both locations tested positive for DNA from silver carp (H. molitrix), but none tested positive for bighead carp (H. nobilis). Hypophthalmichthys DNA was not detected on feathers. There were no significant differences among positive Hypophthalmichthys DNA detection frequencies between cormorant sexes. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of silver carp as part of the Double-crested Cormorant diet in North America. Hypophthalmichthys are major invasive species of concern in this region, the detection of water-borne environmental DNA of Hypophthalmichthys is an important monitoring tool, and the potential movement of DNA via piscivorous birds may have significant implications for interpreting environmental DNA monitoring data.

: This study surveyed and mapped the plant communities at Lake Aquilla, Hill County, Texas. The condition of the communities and their potential for future applications of selected restorative practices were also evaluated. Emphasis was placed on locating potential Texas Blackland prairie remnants, shrublands that may support the federally threatened Black-capped vireo (Vireo atricapilla Woodhouse), and oak-juniper woodlands that may support the federally endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler (Dendroica chrysoparia P. L. Sclater and Salvin). Data was collected using a combination of plots and transects. All vascular plant species were recorded, as well as their abundance and growth form. Plant community classifications were adapted from those developed by the National Vegetation Classification System for the state of Texas.Two-hundred and twenty-seven species of vascular plants were recorded from 27 sample locations. Remnant patches of Texas Blackland prairie degraded by fire suppression and previous land use practices were identified in the survey area. Shrublands suitable for the black-capped vireo, and oak-juniper woodlands suitable for the golden-cheeked warbler were not detected in the survey area. Restorative practices that include management of undesirable woody vegetation and application of pre-scribed fire were recommended for the grasslands, and oak woodlands and forests at Lake Aquilla.

Waterfowl and colonial waterbirds can have significant impacts on water quality in lakes and reservoirs by depositing feces that contribute to nitrogen and phosphorus loads. Piscivorous birds can also contribute the DNA of prey species to a water body. Here, we develop and apply a loading model to estimate the number of silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) DNA target marker copies that are potentially deposited by nesting double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) in the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS). The model assumes a conservative breeding population estimate ranging between 6000 and 8000 cormorants distributed among three large colonies in the Chicago metropolitan area. The model also assumes that cormorants are distributing feces randomly throughout the CAWS in proportion to the amount of time spent at each location. Results show that cormorants may be contributing 2.6 to 113 target marker copies/m2/day if birds are spending 22% of their time on open water and 6.4 to 291 target marker copies/m2/day if birds are spending 56% of their time on open water. Over the entire CAWS, cormorants may contribute tens of millions to billions of silver carp DNA copies each day. These target marker loads may be contributing to positive detections of silver carp environmental DNA (eDNA) in the CAWS. This study does not address other potential sources of silver carp genetic material in the CAWS, including live fish, and provides no indication as to whether or not the loads attributed to cormorants are large or small in relation to these other potential sources.

This technical report summarizes research conducted on piscivorous birds along the Illinois River and in the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS) to assess the potential role of these birds as vectors of invasive carp (bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys noblis) and silver carp (H.molitrix)) DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid).To prevent these carp from invading the Great Lakes, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has spent considerable time and resources constructing electrical barriers in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal around Romeoville, IL, just south of the Chicago metropolitan area.Since the construction of these barriers, intensive monitoring of fish populations and invasive carp environmental DNA (eDNA) have been used to document the possible presence of carp above the barrier.The Asian Carp eDNA Calibration Study (ECALS) was designed to improve our understanding and interpretations of eDNA monitoring efforts in the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS).Existing online bird population data sources were analyzed, and 30 Double-Crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) were captured and satellite-tagged.The results from these projects are evidence that piscivorous birds are likely contributing -at least in part -to the presence of invasive carp DNA in the Chicago Area Waterway System.

: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, has been responsible for monthly avian community monitoring on the dredged material containment areas (DMCAs) as part of the Savannah Harbor Navigation Project since 1994 to the present. This report summarizes the results of this monitoring effort from 1994 to 2012. During this period, over 6.9 million birds of 298 species were detected. These results are discussed in relation to the North American Bird Conservation Initiative, and specifically to the South Atlantic Region, where birds have been ranked according to their need of conservation effort. The SHNP DMCAs were found to support 22 of 36 designated Highest Priority Species, 70 of 90 High Priority Species, and 40 of 41 Moderate Priority Species. These results suggest that the SHNP DMCAs provide important habitat in the region, and may provide a critical link to buffer some priority species from becoming rarer. The report recommends that the Savannah District continues monitoring efforts, but should link the effort with Department of Defense (DoD) Coordinated Bird Monitoring efforts. In addition, data for the monitoring effort could be subjected to rigorous statistical procedures to test hypotheses concerning the success of current management efforts for the benefit of the bird community. The management approach established on the DMCAs could serve as an example for management of other Confined Disposal Facilities nationwide.

Abstract : PURPOSE: The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), Environmental Laboratory (EL) developed this technical note to describe invasive woody trees and shrubs that negatively affect USACE riparian management and restoration activities. The USACE Ecosystem Management and Restoration Research Program (EMRRP) is supporting a nationwide effort to address the impacts of invasive woody plant species on ecosystem restoration, and more specifically, to determine mechanisms to address the most prevalent invasive species (by region) that impact restoration activities. This large research program has four objectives: (1) identify the group of invasive woody riparian plants that are most problematic to USACE ecosystem restoration efforts; (2) develop resource guidelines that suggest time and location thresholds in which funds should be spent to control invasive woody plants; (3) determine the most efficient and ecologically-effective spatial configuration for woody invasive riparian plant removal on Corps-managed lands; and (4) investigate how faunal communities respond to various spatial control methods for woody invasive plant removal in densely vegetated riparian habitats.