ecological unusually sensitive areas pilot study

U.S. Department of Transportation

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

Ecological Unusually Sensitive Areas Pilot Study

Steve FischerOffice of Pipeline Safety8701 South Gessner, Suite 1110Houston, TX 77074PH: [email protected]



Purpose

To determine the potential impact to the methodology for creating Ecological Unusually Sensitive Areas (Eco USAs) resulting from the changes in the NatureServe data since the original model was developed.



USA Background

• All state USA data complete except for Pennsylvania Eco USA

• USA Final Rule published 12/21/00• Intention to update USAs every 5 years• Ecological data is obtained from

NatureServe (previously the Association of Biodiversity Information - ABI)



USA Background

• Original USA development – partnership between ABI and The Nature Conservancy (TNC)

• ABI and TNC worked with state heritage programs to compile data

• Resulting database was the multi-jurisdictional dataset (MJD)



MJD Dataset

• Contains element occurrence (EO) records (locations and attributes) of species

• Consists of species information:– Threatened & Endangered (T&E)– Critically Imperiled– Imperiled



MJD Dataset

• Dataset provides essential info:– Species– Element Occurrence (EO) – mostly

points– Rankings (global, state, and EO)– Precision– Habitat information



Eco USA Filtering Process

• Polygon EOs identified as USAs retained their original boundaries

• Point EOs identified as USAs were converted into polygons

• Aquatic-isolated and terrestrial habitat categories – circular buffer – 1-mile



Eco USA Filtering Process

• Aquatic-open water habitat categories – complex buffer – 5-mile – 5-mile buffer used for aquatic-open water

to capture oil transported via water to an USA

– 0.25-mile “shoreline” buffer also included– EPA river reach data did not have flow

directionality assigned to river segments



Biotics Methodology

• Format of the data from each state changed from points to polygons in one of two ways:– Simplified format – buffer existing

point EO – buffer size related to spatial uncertainty

– Complex format – define areal extent incorporating habitat and range



Pilot Tasks

• Task 1– Identify the anticipated changes and

select two states.• One simplified format• One complex format

– Develop a table listing the status of conversion for each state



Pilot Tasks

• Task 2– Run the Eco USA model for the two

pilot states– Run one state twice using the new

RF3 hydrography data– Deliver three data sets derived from

Biotics dataset



Pilot Tasks

• Task 3– Analyze the differences between the

original USAs and new USAs– Summary areal statistics– Recommendations on issues resulting

from new Biotics database



Pilot Study Timeframe

• Anticipated start date – May 2005• Complete model results – July 2005• Draft report – August 2005• Final Report – September 2005



HCA Data Updates/Future

• Commercially navigable waterways, high population and other populated areas –updated in January 2003

• Drinking water and ecological USAs update –TBD

• OPS process to receive information from liquid operators regarding inaccuracies in the USA data

ecological unusually sensitive areas pilot study

Documents