Multi-State Strategic Mitigation Strategy for NiSource Pipeline

NiSource, a major North American energy company that provides natural gas and electricity services, is undertaking a multi-species habitat conservation plan (MSHCP) to cover routine operation and maintenance activities for its pipeline that extends from the Gulf Coast of Louisiana to New York. The US Fish and Wildlife Service and the 14 affected states asked The Conservation Fund to develop a system-wide approach to mitigation for the NiSource MSHCP. Using a green infrastructure approach for strategic conservation planning, the Fund’s assessment will extend beyond NiSource’s 15,500 mile-long pipeline corridor to encompass adjacent counties, ecoregions and watershed units.

Partners: US Fish and Wildlife Service

• Region(s): Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic
• Scale: Multi-state / Region
• Focus: Natural Environment, Built Environment

Organization:

The Conservation Fund

Challenge

The MSHCP would work only if the states had the opportunity to provide input on the green infrastructure network design and be assured that their mitigation needs were incorporated into the process. To address this, the US Fish and Wildlife Service asked the Fund to employ its leadership expertise to develop an effective outreach program for the states. In addition the partners contracted the Fund to design a mitigation selection process that would result in the best investments in endangered species habitat that also provided the most “bang for the buck” out of the mitigation dollars available for the project.

Solution

The Fund’s green infrastructure assessment offered the most strategic approach for identifying mitigation opportunities at an ecosystem level. This approach will allow species habitat mitigation to take place within the context of an interconnected network of lands and waters. The assessment will guide decisions, making the MSHCP more effective in protecting critical habitat and more efficient in directing limited dollars for impactful mitigation.

Results

The Fund’s Conservation Leadership Network and Strategic Conservation Program conducted state focus group meetings during the months of October and November 2008 to help inform the green infrastructure network design and potential mitigation opportunities. Work continues on the green infrastructure assessment and the development of a decision support framework that will guide mitigation decisions within each state. The project will serve as a nationwide model for the successful integration of green and gray infrastructure planning. The project is ongoing and is scheduled for completion in 2010.

For more information, contact Will Allen.