Ecological connectivity and in-kind mitigation in a regulatory decision framework: A case study with an amphibian habitat specialist

Evin T. Carter; Bryce S. Wade; R. Trent Jett; Teresa J. Mathews; Lindsey E. Hayter; Sarah E. Darling; Jamie M. Herold; Greg Byrd; Christopher R. DeRolph; M. Kitty McCracken; Mark J. Peterson

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.124546

Ecological connectivity and in-kind mitigation in a regulatory decision framework: A case study with an amphibian habitat specialist

Evin T. Carter, Bryce S. Wade, R. Trent Jett, Teresa J. Mathews, Lindsey E. Hayter, Sarah E. Darling, Jamie M. Herold, Greg Byrd, Christopher R. DeRolph, M. Kitty McCracken, Mark J. Peterson

Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Ecological connectivity is critical to the survival and long-term viability of populations but is often overlooked in regulatory frameworks. We integrated landscape-level processes into a mitigation strategy for impacts to aquatic resources on the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) in eastern Tennessee. Wetlands on the ORR, which contain significant breeding populations of the imperiled four-toed salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum) and tubercled rein orchid (Platanthera flava var. herbiola), will be impacted by construction of an environmental waste disposal facility under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). We used a modified Kepner-Tregoe decision analysis to select general mitigation options that balanced regulatory requirements and interest group perspectives. We emphasized habitat connectivity through models that prioritized an area's importance to natural area connectivity (centrality) and maintenance of population structure for an affected habitat specialist (four-toed salamanders). We also emphasized in-kind mitigation through the preservation and enhancement of ecologically similar resources and the translocation and establishment of a new subpopulation of four-toed salamanders elsewhere on the ORR. We ultimately released over 500 juvenile salamanders that originated from the impacted site into the chosen mitigation wetlands. By doing so under the constraints of a time-sensitive CERCLA remediation effort and exceeding its substantive requirements, this work underscores feasibility. Ecological connectivity and the conservation of species that are not afforded explicit regulatory processes can be effectively and efficiently integrated into environmental decision-making and land use planning.

Original language	English
Article number	124546
Journal	Journal of Environmental Management
Volume	377
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.124546
State	Published - Mar 2025

Funding

This article has been produced by UT-Battelle, LLC pursuant to Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the U.S. Department of Energy. The U.S. Government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the U.S. Government retains a non-exclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this article, or allow others to do so, for U.S. Government purposes. The Department of Energy will provide public access to the results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan (http://energy.gov/downloads/doe-public-access-plan).The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Evin Carter reports financial support was provided by US Department of Energy Oak Ridge Office. Evin Carter reports financial support was provided by United Cleanup Oak Ridge LLC (UCOR). If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy. We thank Kevin Hamed for valuable insights that improved translocation efforts. We also thank the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency's (TWRA) Biodiversity Team and Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation's Division of Natural Areas Team for their support during the planning and execution of this project. This work was conducted under TWRA Scientific Collection Permit #2283 and Oak Ridge National Laboratory Animal Care and Use Committee Protocol #0487. The contents and findings of this article are being published for informational and scientific purposes. It is not the intent nor purpose to direct EDMF decisionmakers including the Department of Energy and its contractors to adopt a particular mitigation strategy. Further, neither the Department of Energy nor its contractors are required to adopt any mitigation strategy based on the findings of this article. This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management and DOE Office of Science through the Oak Ridge Reservation Wildlife Management and Integrated Land Use Planning tasks. We thank United Cleanup Oak Ridge, LCC (UCOR) for facilitating planning and providing feedback throughout the project. We also thank the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency’s (TWRA) Biodiversity Team and Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation’s Division of Natural Areas Team for their support during the planning and execution of this project. This work was conducted under TWRA Scientific Collection Permit #2283 and Oak Ridge National Laboratory Animal Care and Use Committee Protocol # 0487. The contents and findings of this article are being published for informational and scientific purposes. It is not the intent nor purpose to direct EDMF decisionmakers including the Department of Energy and its contractors to adopt a particular mitigation strategy. Further, neither the Department of Energy nor its contractors are required to adopt any mitigation strategy based on the findings of this article. This article has been produced by UT-Battelle, LLC pursuant to Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the U.S. Department of Energy. The U.S. Government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the U.S. Government retains a non-exclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this article, or allow others to do so, for U.S. Government purposes. The Department of Energy will provide public access to the results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan ( http://energy.gov/downloads/doe-public-access-plan ). Data used in this research can be provided upon request. This article has been produced by UT-Battelle, LLC pursuant to Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the U.S. Department of Energy. The U.S. Government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the U.S. Government retains a non-exclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this article, or allow others to do so, for U.S. Government purposes. The Department of Energy will provide public access to the results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan ( http://energy.gov/downloads/doe-public-access-plan ).

Keywords

Decision analysis
Environmental cleanup
Hemidactylium
Platanthera
Translocation
Wetlands

Access to Document

10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.124546

Cite this

Carter, E. T., Wade, B. S., Jett, R. T., Mathews, T. J., Hayter, L. E., Darling, S. E., Herold, J. M., Byrd, G., DeRolph, C. R., McCracken, M. K., & Peterson, M. J. (2025). Ecological connectivity and in-kind mitigation in a regulatory decision framework: A case study with an amphibian habitat specialist. Journal of Environmental Management, 377, Article 124546. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.124546

@article{091b11fcdd9d4ba08edc02079b06bd8e,

title = "Ecological connectivity and in-kind mitigation in a regulatory decision framework: A case study with an amphibian habitat specialist",

abstract = "Ecological connectivity is critical to the survival and long-term viability of populations but is often overlooked in regulatory frameworks. We integrated landscape-level processes into a mitigation strategy for impacts to aquatic resources on the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) in eastern Tennessee. Wetlands on the ORR, which contain significant breeding populations of the imperiled four-toed salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum) and tubercled rein orchid (Platanthera flava var. herbiola), will be impacted by construction of an environmental waste disposal facility under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). We used a modified Kepner-Tregoe decision analysis to select general mitigation options that balanced regulatory requirements and interest group perspectives. We emphasized habitat connectivity through models that prioritized an area's importance to natural area connectivity (centrality) and maintenance of population structure for an affected habitat specialist (four-toed salamanders). We also emphasized in-kind mitigation through the preservation and enhancement of ecologically similar resources and the translocation and establishment of a new subpopulation of four-toed salamanders elsewhere on the ORR. We ultimately released over 500 juvenile salamanders that originated from the impacted site into the chosen mitigation wetlands. By doing so under the constraints of a time-sensitive CERCLA remediation effort and exceeding its substantive requirements, this work underscores feasibility. Ecological connectivity and the conservation of species that are not afforded explicit regulatory processes can be effectively and efficiently integrated into environmental decision-making and land use planning.",

keywords = "Decision analysis, Environmental cleanup, Hemidactylium, Platanthera, Translocation, Wetlands",

author = "Carter, \{Evin T.\} and Wade, \{Bryce S.\} and Jett, \{R. Trent\} and Mathews, \{Teresa J.\} and Hayter, \{Lindsey E.\} and Darling, \{Sarah E.\} and Herold, \{Jamie M.\} and Greg Byrd and DeRolph, \{Christopher R.\} and McCracken, \{M. Kitty\} and Peterson, \{Mark J.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 Elsevier Ltd",

year = "2025",

month = mar,

doi = "10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.124546",

language = "English",

volume = "377",

journal = "Journal of Environmental Management",

issn = "0301-4797",

publisher = "Elsevier",

}

Carter, ET, Wade, BS, Jett, RT , Mathews, TJ, Hayter, LE, Darling, SE, Herold, JM, Byrd, G, DeRolph, CR, McCracken, MK & Peterson, MJ 2025, 'Ecological connectivity and in-kind mitigation in a regulatory decision framework: A case study with an amphibian habitat specialist', Journal of Environmental Management, vol. 377, 124546. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.124546

TY - JOUR

T1 - Ecological connectivity and in-kind mitigation in a regulatory decision framework

T2 - A case study with an amphibian habitat specialist

AU - Carter, Evin T.

AU - Wade, Bryce S.

AU - Jett, R. Trent

AU - Mathews, Teresa J.

AU - Hayter, Lindsey E.

AU - Darling, Sarah E.

AU - Herold, Jamie M.

AU - Byrd, Greg

AU - DeRolph, Christopher R.

AU - McCracken, M. Kitty

AU - Peterson, Mark J.

PY - 2025/3

Y1 - 2025/3

N2 - Ecological connectivity is critical to the survival and long-term viability of populations but is often overlooked in regulatory frameworks. We integrated landscape-level processes into a mitigation strategy for impacts to aquatic resources on the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) in eastern Tennessee. Wetlands on the ORR, which contain significant breeding populations of the imperiled four-toed salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum) and tubercled rein orchid (Platanthera flava var. herbiola), will be impacted by construction of an environmental waste disposal facility under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). We used a modified Kepner-Tregoe decision analysis to select general mitigation options that balanced regulatory requirements and interest group perspectives. We emphasized habitat connectivity through models that prioritized an area's importance to natural area connectivity (centrality) and maintenance of population structure for an affected habitat specialist (four-toed salamanders). We also emphasized in-kind mitigation through the preservation and enhancement of ecologically similar resources and the translocation and establishment of a new subpopulation of four-toed salamanders elsewhere on the ORR. We ultimately released over 500 juvenile salamanders that originated from the impacted site into the chosen mitigation wetlands. By doing so under the constraints of a time-sensitive CERCLA remediation effort and exceeding its substantive requirements, this work underscores feasibility. Ecological connectivity and the conservation of species that are not afforded explicit regulatory processes can be effectively and efficiently integrated into environmental decision-making and land use planning.

AB - Ecological connectivity is critical to the survival and long-term viability of populations but is often overlooked in regulatory frameworks. We integrated landscape-level processes into a mitigation strategy for impacts to aquatic resources on the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) in eastern Tennessee. Wetlands on the ORR, which contain significant breeding populations of the imperiled four-toed salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum) and tubercled rein orchid (Platanthera flava var. herbiola), will be impacted by construction of an environmental waste disposal facility under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). We used a modified Kepner-Tregoe decision analysis to select general mitigation options that balanced regulatory requirements and interest group perspectives. We emphasized habitat connectivity through models that prioritized an area's importance to natural area connectivity (centrality) and maintenance of population structure for an affected habitat specialist (four-toed salamanders). We also emphasized in-kind mitigation through the preservation and enhancement of ecologically similar resources and the translocation and establishment of a new subpopulation of four-toed salamanders elsewhere on the ORR. We ultimately released over 500 juvenile salamanders that originated from the impacted site into the chosen mitigation wetlands. By doing so under the constraints of a time-sensitive CERCLA remediation effort and exceeding its substantive requirements, this work underscores feasibility. Ecological connectivity and the conservation of species that are not afforded explicit regulatory processes can be effectively and efficiently integrated into environmental decision-making and land use planning.

KW - Decision analysis

KW - Environmental cleanup

KW - Hemidactylium

KW - Platanthera

KW - Translocation

KW - Wetlands

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85218228011

U2 - 10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.124546

DO - 10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.124546

M3 - Article

C2 - 39986148

AN - SCOPUS:85218228011

SN - 0301-4797

VL - 377

JO - Journal of Environmental Management

JF - Journal of Environmental Management

M1 - 124546

ER -

Ecological connectivity and in-kind mitigation in a regulatory decision framework: A case study with an amphibian habitat specialist

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this