PLANNING FOR ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION
Control Number: 348
Course Number: 33EBE01A
Length:36
CEUs: 3.1 PDHs: 0.0 LUs: 0.0 PDUs: 0.0 CMs: 0.0 ACE: 0.0 CEHs: 0.0
Purpose:
This course provides students with a working knowledge of current and evolving Civil Works policy and guidance pertaining to the Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration mission in the USACE Civil Works program. Since aquatic ecosystem restoration is the third largest mission in the USACE Civil Works program this course is focused on the analyses and requirements related to planning a USACE aquatic ecosystem restoration project.
Description:
This advanced Civil Works planning course is for those students interested in exploring key considerations and unique challenges related to USACE aquatic ecosystem restoration planning studies. This course uses case studies, class exercises, lectures, panel discussions, and a field trip to explore current and evolving Civil Works policy and guidance, resource significance, conceptual models, alternative formulation strategies, alternative evaluation and comparison (including cost effectiveness/incremental cost analyses (CE/ICA), comprehensive benefits and trade-off approaches), ecological model identification and application, monitoring and adaptive management, and how risk and uncertainty factor into ecosystem restoration. This course is focused on the analyses and requirements related to planning a USACE aquatic ecosystem restoration project, not the environmental compliance activities required of any USACE study.
Upon completion of this training, attendees will be able to: (1) List important authorities, guidance, and policies related to planning an aquatic ecosystem restoration study; (2) Construct a conceptual model for an aquatic ecosystem restoration case study; (3) Identify, select, and apply an ecological model to calculate ecological outputs for an aquatic ecosystem restoration case study; (4) Apply various formulation strategies to develop alternatives; (5) Conduct a simple cost effectiveness and incremental cost analysis for an aquatic ecosystem restoration case study; (6) Present the rationale for a recommended plan for an aquatic ecosystem restoration case study following the Corps planning process; (7) List ways of how the ECO-PCX can support project delivery teams working on an aquatic ecosystem restoration study.
Within the context of the Corps’ six-step planning process, the following topics will be discussed as related to the aquatic ecosystem restoration mission area:
- Policy, guidance, and authorities for Corps involvement in aquatic ecosystem restoration projects
- The meaning of resource significance and the role that information plays in aquatic ecosystem restoration
- Sponsor and resource agency collaboration
- How to build a conceptual ecological model
- How to identify and select an appropriate ecological model to use for an aquatic ecosystem restoration planning study
- How risk and uncertainty factor into ecosystem restoration alternative evaluation
- How to build a monitoring and adaptive management plan
- How to use plan formulation strategies to develop alternatives for an ecosystem restoration project
- Evaluate and compare alternatives using various approaches (CE/ICA, tradeoff analysis, comprehensive benefits)
- How to select a plan for an aquatic ecosystem restoration planning study
- The who, how, and what the Ecosystem Restoration Planning Center of Expertise (ECO-PCX) does to support planning teams working on aquatic ecosystem restoration planning studies
(Note: Although this course addresses evaluation tools and procedures for ecosystem restoration planning, this is not a course in the theory/mechanics of specific ecological or habitat models such as HEP or HGM. In addition, this course is focused on the analyses and requirements related to planning a USACE aquatic ecosystem restoration project, not the environmental compliance activities required of any USACE study.
The course will include a full-day field trip to multiple local Corps restoration projects, and student teams will be responsible for incorporating relevant information shared into their final case study group presentations.
Prerequisites:
This course is designed for Corps personnel involved in planning and designing, and evaluating ecosystem restoration projects, including planners, biologists, economists, engineers, project managers, and other planning team members. Recommended grade of GS-11 and above. Students are expected to be knowledgeable in Civil Works SMART Planning, USACE 6-step Planning process, and preferred completion of PCC1, PCC2, and PCC3, or equivalent.
Notes:
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Sessions: This information is updated nightly and may be up to 24 hours old.
Session | Location | Start Date | End Date | Seats Open |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | St. Paul, MN | 7/28/2025 | 8/1/2025 | 4 |