Overall Rating	Gold
Overall Score	65.28
Liaison	Ciara Tennis
Submission Date	Nov. 3, 2022

STARS v2.2

Eastern Connecticut State University
OP-10: Biodiversity

Status	Score	Responsible Party
	1.00 / 2.00 This credit is weighted more heavily for institutions that own or manage land that includes or is adjacent to any of the following: Legally protected areas (e.g., IUCN Category I-VI) Internationally recognized areas (e.g., World Heritage, Ramsar, Natura 2000) Priority sites for biodiversity (e.g., Key Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites) Regions of conservation importance (e.g., Endemic Bird Areas, Biodiversity Hotspots, High Biodiversity Wilderness Areas) 2 points are available for this credit if the institution owns or manages land that includes or is adjacent to any of the above. 1 point is available for this credit for all other institutions. Close

"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution own or manage land that includes or is adjacent to legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, or regions of conservation importance?:

Yes

A brief description of the legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and/or regions of conservation importance:

In the LEED submission for South Residential Village, the Arboretum was set aside as protected.
The Eastern Arboretum is an on-campus forested/wetland area. The Arboretum is located in a stream valley and encompasses a small perennial stream and pond, a designated wetlands area.
The forested region adjacent to the Mansfield Athletic Complex includes marshes, a stream, and a pond, and is also a designated wetland area.
https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Water/Inland-Wetlands/How-Are-Inland--Wetlands-and-Watercourses--Defined

Endangered and vulnerable species

Has the institution conducted an assessment to identify endangered and vulnerable species (including migratory species) with habitats on land owned or managed by the institution?:

Yes

A list of endangered and vulnerable species with habitats on land owned or managed by the institution, by level of extinction risk:

Mammals:
Northern Long-eared Bat - Threatened
Monarch Butterfly - Candidate for Endangered Species List

Migratory Birds:
Bald Eagle - Threatened
Black-billed Cuckoo - Concern
Blue-winged Warbler - Concern
Bobolink - Special Concern
Lesser Yellowlegs - Concern
Prairie Warbler - Concern
Rusty Blackbird - Concern
Short-billed Dowitcher - Concern
Wood Thrush - Concern
Black Vulture - Protected
Turkey Vulture - Protected

See IPaC Informational lists and CT DEEP Endangered, Threatened, and Special Concern Species in Windham County list.

Areas of biodiversity importance

Has the institution conducted an assessment to identify areas of biodiversity importance on land owned or managed by the institution?:

A brief description of areas of biodiversity importance on land owned or managed by the institution:

The Arboretum and the forested area of the Mansfield Athletic Complex together include forest, marches, streams, and a pond, which provide habitats for several plant and animals species.

Methodologies

If yes to either of the above, provide the following:

The methodologies used to identify endangered and vulnerable species and/or areas of biodiversity importance and any ongoing assessment and monitoring mechanisms:

Biology faculty and students conduct field surveys of the Arboretum using up-to-date taxonomic methods to identify species that occur in the area, which increased since spring 2020 due to the pandemic.

IPaC Information for Planning and Consultation from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service was used to generate two informational resource lists on vulnerable and endangered species on Eastern's forested and wetland areas, supplemented by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Endangered, Threatened, and Special Concern Species in Windham County list.

In June 2022, Eastern had to seek special permission from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to move a nest of vultures from the roof of the Science Building to perform maintenance on the building.

A brief description of the scope of the assessment(s):

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service resource lists are developed through analysis of high altitude imagery. Wetlands are identified based on vegetation, visible hydrology and geography. The primary information used to generate the species list is the known or expected range of each species. Additional areas of influence (AOI) for species are also considered.

A brief description of the plans or programs in place to protect or positively affect identified species, habitats, and/or ecosystems:

The Arboretum is used for plant identification, surveys, and training students in plant taxonomy and other biological processes that occur in plants.

Optional Fields

Estimated percentage of areas of biodiversity importance that are also protected areas :

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Website URL where information about the institution’s biodiversity initiatives is available:

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Additional documentation to support the submission:

IPaC_Informational_Resource_List.pdf

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/DEEP/endangered_species/species_listings/windhamctyspeciespdf.pdf
https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Wildlife/Learn-About-Wildlife/Connecticut-Endangered-and-Threatened-Species-Fact-Sheets

Information for this credit provided by Bryan Connolly, Assistant Biology Professor, and Renee Theroux-Keech, Director of Facilities Management & Planning.