Project Review
Federally funded, authorized, or implemented projects must be reviewed for impacts to threatened or endangered species. If a federal agency feels their project may affect a threatened or endangered species, consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service begins to ensure those impacts are properly assessed, are minimized when possible, and don't jeopardize the recovery of a species. Below are resources to help you navigate this consultation process.
Information for Planning and Consultation (IPaC)
IPaC is an online project planning tool that streamlines the USFWS environmental review process. If the information you find in IPaC leads your agency to a determination that the proposed project will have “no effect” on listed species(s), then no further correspondence is necessary. Please retain the documentation generated from your IPaC review for your files.
Midwest Region ESA Section 7 Consultation
Step-by-step guidance is available for federal agencies and their applications and designated non-federal representitives to help ensure obligations under section 7 of the Endangered Species Act are met.
Consultation with our office on a project is necessary only when the information provided via IPaC leads you to a determination that the proposed project may affect a listed species or critical habitat. We also recommend that you coordinate with our office if your project may affect species proposed for such listing or proposed critical habitat. In such cases and for all other inquiries, please email rockisland@fws.gov to be directed to the appropriate contact.
Additional Consultation guidance is provided in the Illinois-Iowa Ecological Services Field Office IPaC Introductory Letter included below.
Illinois-Iowa Determination Key
The Illinois-Iowa Determination Key (DKey) and associated standing analysis provides an optional consultation process that is available to federal agencies and designated non-federal representatives and whose projects are located completely within the states of Illinois and/or Iowa and do not extend into any other states.