Definitions
In this chapter:
Federal trust species
Habitat enhancement
In general
Inclusions
The term “habitat enhancement” includes—
an activity conducted to increase or decrease a specific function for the purpose of benefitting species, including—
increasing the hydroperiod and water depth of a stream or wetland beyond what would naturally occur;
improving waterfowl habitat conditions;
establishing water level management capabilities for native plant communities;
creating mud flat conditions important for shorebirds; and
cross fencing or establishing a rotational grazing system on native range to improve grassland nesting bird habitat conditions; and
an activity conducted to shift a native plant community successional stage, including—
burning an established native grass community to reduce or eliminate invading brush or exotic species;
brush shearing to set back early successional plant communities; and
forest management that promotes a particular seral stage.
Exclusions
Habitat establishment
The term “habitat establishment” means the manipulation of physical, chemical, or biological characteristics of a project site to create and maintain habitat that did not previously exist on the project site, including construction of—
shallow water impoundments on non-hydric soils; and
side channel spawning and rearing habitat.
Habitat improvement
Habitat restoration
In general
Inclusions
The term “habitat restoration” includes—
an activity conducted to return a project site, to the maximum extent practicable, to the ecological condition that existed prior to the loss or degradation, including—
removing tile drains or plugging drainage ditches in former or degraded wetland;
returning meanders and sustainable profiles to straightened streams;
burning grass communities heavily invaded by exotic species to reestablish native grass and plant communities; and
planting plant communities that are native to the project site;
if restoration of a project site to its original ecological condition is not practicable, an activity that repairs 1 or more of the original habitat functions and that involve the use of native vegetation, including—
the installation of a water control structure in a swale on land isolated from overbank flooding by a major levee to simulate natural hydrological processes; and
the placement of streambank or instream habitat diversity structures in streams that cannot be restored to original conditions or profile; and
removal of a disturbing or degrading element to enable the native habitat to reestablish or become fully functional.