The amount of information available on endangered species distribution and biology directly affects a project s cost and schedule. For many endangered species, this information is relatively well known and either mitigation or avoidance is generally not difficult.
Scientific data is, however, frequently lacking on the biology of some endangered species.
Deficiencies in available information makes it difficult to analyze a project s effects and can lead to variable approaches in avoiding or mitigating impacts on endangered species. Twelve endangered species were known to occur in or near the project area. Two of these species, the American hart s-tongue fern and the Hine s emerald dragonfly, illustrate how the amount of information available for a species can affect a project. The fern is a readily identifiable species that had been found in the project area. Because the biology of this species is relatively well understood, it was possible to identify potential impacts on the species and develop appropriate measures to avoid or mitigate those impacts.