Fall NEARC 2024

Monarch butterfly populations are drastically declining due to habitat loss and the species may soon become federally listed. The Monarch Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA) is a collaborative initiative between the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and over 50 entities from the energy and transportation sectors. This agreement provides regulatory predictability for enrolled partners and aims to benefit monarch butterflies through the implementation of existing vegetation management practices on energy and transportation lands that results in a net benefit to monarch butterflies.

This presentation will demonstrate the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and mobile data collection technologies throughout the CCAA application, enrollment, and field monitoring processes. Key topics will include an introduction to the CCAA initiative, illustrative client case studies, methodology for compiling and analyzing spatial datasets, and techniques for conducting spatial analysis of roadway networks and utility corridors to identify potential enrolled and adoptable lands. Additionally, we will discuss ground truthing methods and post-enrollment habitat monitoring procedures. Using these technological methods, these projects take an active and comprehensive effort to protect and restore vital habitats for monarch butterflies across vast areas of the United States.