Endangered Species Assessments

The Endangered Species Act (ESA), which is administered by the U.S Fish and Wildlife service (USFWS), was established in 1973 and provides a federal program for the protection of threatened and endangered plants and animals and their habitats.  The ESA requires that federal agencies, such as the US Army Corps of Engineers, consult with the USFWS to ensure authorized/permitted activities do not adversely affect federally threatened or endangered species.

Within the Midwest some of the threatened and endangered species that are most likely to be affected by development are bat species, including the Gray Bat (Myotis grisescens), Indiana Bat (Myotis sodalis), and Northern Long-Eared Bat (Myotis septentrionalis). This is due to the mobility of these species as they can cover large distances while foraging.  Therefore, much of the forested land in the Midwest can be considered suitable habitat for threatened and endangered bat species.  As such, if a project site requires clearing of forested areas the USFWS may require a Presence/Absence survey to determine if threatened or endangered bat species are present on the site.

Terra Technologies' scientists are fully trained and qualified to perform presence/absence acoustic surveys and have successfully conducted surveys for many different clients throughout Missouri.  Acoustic surveys are a cost-effective USFWS-approved method to determined if threatened or endangered species are present within a site.  In addition to acoustic surveys, Terra Technologies has also conducted habitat surveys on thousands of acres of land throughout Missouri and Kansas to determine if suitable habitat for threatened or endangered species is present on a site.