Endangered Species Act Consultation (and Guidance for Other Federal Trust Resources)

To request review of your proposed project by our agency, please visit the  website.  IPaC IPaC
Information for Planning and Consultation (IPaC) is a project planning tool that streamlines the USFWS environmental review process

Learn more about IPaC  is a free tool for learning about the federally protected species that may occur in your area or project footprint. There, you can request an Official Species Report and use "determination keys" that help in determining whether a project may impact a species. Dkeys are logically structured sets of questions designed to assist users in determining if a project qualifies for a pre-determined consultation outcome based on existing programmatic consultations or internal USFWS standing analyses. Dkeys provide consistent and transparent outcomes, and significantly reduces the time to complete Endangered Species Act (ESA) consultation for qualifying projects. Qualifying projects can generate USFWS concurrence letters instantly. 

The following Dkeys are available for Mississippi, and more are coming soon: 

  • Mississippi Multi-species Determination Key*
  • Northern Long-eared Bat and Tricolored Bat Range-wide Determination Key
  • Indiana Bat Determination Key
  • FWHA, FRA, FTA Programmatic Consultation for Transportation Projects affecting IBAT, NLEB, or TCB
  • Clearance to Proceed with Federally-insured Loan and Grant Project Requests Determination Key

* The MS Multi-species Dkey covers all federally listed species in MS other than federally listed bats (Gray, Indiana, and Northern long-eared bats). Therefore, in order to fully comply with ESA Section 7 Section 7
Section 7 Consultation The Endangered Species Act (ESA) directs all Federal agencies to work to conserve endangered and threatened species and to use their authorities to further the purposes of the Act. Section 7 of the Act, called "Interagency Cooperation," is the mechanism by which Federal agencies ensure the actions they take, including those they fund or authorize, do not jeopardize the existence of any listed species.

Learn more about Section 7 consultation requirements for all federally listed species in MS, the MS Multi-species Dkey, all relevant national bat Dkeys, and individual consultation on the gray bat (Tishomingo County only) should be evaluated/conducted for each project.

The MS Multi-species Dkey also does not cover species proposed for listing under the ESA in MS (i.e. Alabama hickorynut, Alligator snapping turtle, Cumberland moccasinshell, Eastern hellbender, Louisiana pigtoe, monarch butterfly, round hickorynut, Tennessee pigtoe, tricolored bat, and undescribed hickorynut as of June 2025). For these species, consultation (referred to as conferencing under the ESA) is only required when the federal action is likely to jeopardize the species or result in the destruction or adverse modification of proposed critical habitat. Conferences, which are similar to the consultation process for listed species, are conducted under section 7(a)(4) of the ESA and the implementing regulations at 50 CFR 402.10. Federal action agencies may voluntarily confer on their actions, but the results of those informal conferences are always non-binding and would have to be adopted as an informal consultation if the action is still ongoing after the species becomes listed under the ESA.

First Steps: Where can you begin?

All reviews begin at the , where landowners, consultants, agencies, and anyone that requires U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service review of a project may request an official species list.  

Video Demos

How to Use IPaC to request an Official Species List:

  1. Go to the IPaC website:  and select GET STARTED.
  2. You will be asked to define your project location. You can do this one of several ways:
    • Method 1: Use the Find Location box by entering an address or latitude and longitude (in decimal degrees). Then use the Define Area box by using the drawing tools to draw the boundary of your project area.
    • Method 2: You may use the Upload Shape File button if you have a GIS shape file of your project area using a .zip folder containing all necessary files
    • Method 3: You may use the Select by County button if you are uncertain of your specific project location. You may also use the Select by State button for a general list of species statewide.
    • Confirm your project location by selecting Continue. You may also select Start Over if you need to redefine your project location.
  3. Once you have defined your project location, you will be taken to a page which provides information regarding the resources in the area. You can use the navigation on the left-hand side of the page to explore the resources present within your defined project area. Click on the species to learn more about it, including project design guidelines (for some species) and a description of suitable habitat.
  4. Request an Official Species List:
    • Click Define Project on the left-hand side of the page.
    • Log-in with your existing IPaC account or create an account in order to proceed.
    • Create a Project Name. A suggested format is: Name of your agency or company, project proponent (if applicable), project name, project code and/or application/permit I.D. number
    • For Project Description, be sure to include details on the various components of your project, timing, and duration. You will see your project name, project description, and project location on the following page. From here, you will be able to complete the initial step of the official ESA review, which is obtaining an official species list.
    • Click Start Review on the right-hand side of the page.
    • Click Continue on the page which describes the steps of the ESA Review process.
    • You will be prompted to request a species list. Click Yes, Request A Species List.
    • Fill in all relevant Contact Information. Verify your project name, description, and location. Provide your lead agency and a project classification.
    • Click Submit Official Species List Request. This request will automatically generate a project tracking number (i.e., consultation code) for your project and will automatically generate an official letter from the USFWS which includes an official species list that is valid for 90 days. This letter will be sent to you at the e-mail address you provided with your IPaC account.
    • If you need to update the species list, select 鈥淣eed an updated species list?鈥� on the IPaC homepage page. You will need the consultation code and e-mail address used to request the original species list. The consultation code and e-mail address are listed in the official letter. You will get an updated species list under the same consultation code that makes project tracking easier.

How to use Determination Keys:

Note that for some projects, IPaC will present you with Determination Keys. Determination Keys (Dkeys) are logically structured sets of questions designed to assist users in determining if a project qualifies for a pre-determined consultation outcome based on existing programmatic consultations or internal USFWS standing analyses. Qualifying projects can generate USFWS concurrence letters instantly through IPaC. Dkeys provide consistent and transparent outcomes, and significantly reduce the time to complete consultation for qualifying projects.

To use a Dkey, follow the instructions below:

  1. After requesting a species list, you can click Next Step: Determination Keys. Or, from the Project Home, click Start Review.
  2. Select Evaluate for the appropriate key
  3. Review the key description and click Check If My Project Qualifies. You will be asked Qualification Interview questions to determine whether the key applies to your project. The Dkey will ask you a series of yes/no questions. Select the appropriate radio button to indicate your response. If you make an incorrect selection, you can click on Change Answer to go back and change your response. If you answer questions that indicate the key does not apply, you will be notified that your project is outside the scope of the key and will not be allowed to continue.
  4. If your project qualifies for the Dkey, you will also be asked questions to help you reach an effects determination for species that are on your species list and covered by the key. You may be offered conservation measures to help avoid adverse effects to listed species. Continue to answer yes/no questions about your project, including whether you are willing to agree to conservation measures. For some questions, you can click on hyperlinks or hover over underlined text to get additional clarification. Some questions, called 鈥渟emantic questions鈥�, are answered for you automatically based on previous input or spatial data embedded within the Dkey.
  5. After you finish answering questions about your project, you will be given a preliminary determination for species covered by the Dkey. IPaC can then generate a letter for your records with the determinations and copy of all of the questions and answers about your project. Select either Submit this Project for USFWS Concurrence or Generate Technical Assistance Letter to receive a copy of the letter. At any time from your Project Home Page, you can view the species list and letter in Documents.

Video Demo:

Considering Other Federal Trust Resources 

IPaC will also indicate the potential presence of migratory birds and other bird species of concern within the vicinity of the action area action area
All areas to be affected directly or indirectly by the federal action and not merely the immediate area involved in the action.

Learn more about action area . To prevent and minimize potential impacts to migratory birds, please consult the Service鈥檚 Migratory Bird Program Conservation Measures Library. Finally, IPaC will also indicate if your project is located on a National Wildlife Refuge or within a Coastal Barrier Resource Act zone.

How to Submit a Project Review Package 

For projects that received a 鈥淢ay Affect鈥� determination after using one or more Dkeys, further coordination is required with the MS Ecological Services Field Office. Please submit the IPaC output letter received from the Dkeys for the project, along with any additional information (i.e. maps, project description, best management practices, lead federal agency for the action if applicable) to our consultation inbox ([email protected]). 

Submission Guidelines: 

Subject line: In your email subject title, indicate your project code (listed on your IPaC report) and county using the following format as an example: "Project Code: 2023-0049730, Hinds Co." 

Review time: All project review packages submitted to [email protected] (except projects involving formal consultation) are typically reviewed by a biologist within 60 days. This timeline is extended if a project review package is incomplete and additional information is required. 

Keep records: Maintain a complete copy of the project review package in your files since it will become an integral part of your official record of compliance.