Overall Rating	Gold
Overall Score	67.28
Liaison	Geory Kurtzhals
Submission Date	Jan. 4, 2022

STARS v2.2

University of Notre Dame
OP-10: Biodiversity

Status	Score	Responsible Party
	2.00 / 2.00 This credit is weighted more heavily for institutions that own or manage land that includes or is adjacent to any of the following: Legally protected areas (e.g., IUCN Category I-VI) Internationally recognized areas (e.g., World Heritage, Ramsar, Natura 2000) Priority sites for biodiversity (e.g., Key Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites) Regions of conservation importance (e.g., Endemic Bird Areas, Biodiversity Hotspots, High Biodiversity Wilderness Areas) 2 points are available for this credit if the institution owns or manages land that includes or is adjacent to any of the above. 1 point is available for this credit for all other institutions. Close	Geory Kurtzhals Sr. Director Office of Sustainability

"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution own or manage land that includes or is adjacent to legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, or regions of conservation importance?:

Yes

A brief description of the legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and/or regions of conservation importance:

The Federal Government regulates, through Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, some of the activities that occur in wetlands.
According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Wetlands Inventory Mapper (https://www.fws.gov/wetlands/data/mapper.html), the Notre Dame campus includes at least: 76 total acres of freshwater wetlands (approximately 6% of campus) including 2.7 acres of Freshwater Emergent Wetland, 24 acres of Freshwater Forested/Shrub Wetland, 2 acres Freshwater Pond, 46 acres Lake, and 2 acres Riverine.

The Warren Golf Course (within the University Campus) is a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary. Originally certified in 2001, it received this recertification in 2021. Audubon International recognized the golf course for the following positive efforts in Wildlife Habitat Management:
− Installing and maintaining bird boxes (50+)
− Establishing significant acreage of native vegetation
− Conducting minimum maintenance throughout the course’s natural areas
− Protecting the property’s wetlands
− Maintaining buffer zones around water bodies
− Creating excellent habitat for a variety of wildlife
− Installing signage in front of environmentally sensitive areas to discourage golfers from disturbing the vegetation and habitat

Endangered and vulnerable species

Has the institution conducted an assessment to identify endangered and vulnerable species (including migratory species) with habitats on land owned or managed by the institution?:

Yes

A list of endangered and vulnerable species with habitats on land owned or managed by the institution, by level of extinction risk:

The Notre Dame campus is an important area for migratory birds.

INDIANA HERITAGE DATA: University of Notre Dame (March 16, 2021)
Federal Candidate Species:
Emydoidea blandingii - Blanding's turtle
State Endangered:
Emydoidea blandingii - Blanding's turtle
Boechera stricta - Drummond's rockcress
Carex atherodes - Awned sedge
State Threatened:
Actaea rubra ssp. rubra - Red baneberry
Carex crawei - Crawe's sedge

Observed (ebird.org) Bird species Indiana State Endangered (IDNR) as of 12/7/2021:
Golden-Winged Warbler
Marsh Wren

Observed (ebird.org) Bird species of Indiana State Special Concern (IDNR) as of 12/7/2021):
Common Nighthawk
Sandhill Crane
Solitary Sandpiper
Great Egret
Osprey
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
Peregrine Falcon
Black-and-white Warbler
Hooded Warbler

Areas of biodiversity importance

Has the institution conducted an assessment to identify areas of biodiversity importance on land owned or managed by the institution?:

Yes

A brief description of areas of biodiversity importance on land owned or managed by the institution:

Notre Dame Campus Woody Flora Project – Funded by Notre Dame Campus Services, the current survey, begun in 2016 has documented 14,610 trees and plantings on the Notre Dame campus. The earliest collections of the Notre Dame campus flora contained in the Museum of Biodiversity's Nieuwland Herbarium were made by Rev. Julius A. Nieuwland, C.S.C. prior to 1906, with the first comprehensive survey done by Rev. Peter E. Hebert, C.S.C., in 1966. In 1992 a more comprehensive survey was conducted by Barbara Hellenthal for the book "Trees, Shrubs and Vines on the University of Notre Dame Campus" published by the University of Notre Dame
Press for the University's 150th-anniversary celebration. The current survey has documented 8,966 trees and planting areas new to the campus since 1993 as well as the fate of all specimens found in past surveys. The present Notre Dame flora includes 1,173 kinds of woody plants, 199 of which are new to the campus since the 1993 survey and will serve as the basis for an updated book on the campus flora and is providing a foundation for management of the campus landscape. The University's departments of Campus Services, Development, and Landscape Services have been active participants in this project. Samples of all of the types of plants found on the campus are contained as a special collection in the Museum's herbarium. All of the campus trees and landscape plantings have been assigned asset inventory management (AiM) identification numbers and have been integrated into the University's Tableau software system.

Methodologies

If yes to either of the above, provide the following:

The methodologies used to identify endangered and vulnerable species and/or areas of biodiversity importance and any ongoing assessment and monitoring mechanisms:

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Wetlands Inventory Mapper (https://www.fws.gov/wetlands/data/mapper.html)

Reports of bird species found on eBird. Hotspots: Saint Joseph's Lake, Notre Dame, St. Joseph County, Indiana, US (https://ebird.org/hotspot/L831672) and Saint Mary's Lake, St. Joseph County, Indiana, US (https://ebird.org/hotspot/L2043798)

INDIANA HERITAGE DATA: University of Notre Dame (March 16, 2021)

A brief description of the scope of the assessment(s):

The Heritage data report included the scope of 1 mile within the University of Notre Dame. However, we only reported those specific to the University campus.

A brief description of the plans or programs in place to protect or positively affect identified species, habitats, and/or ecosystems:

N/A

Optional Fields

Estimated percentage of areas of biodiversity importance that are also protected areas :

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Website URL where information about the institution’s biodiversity initiatives is available:

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Additional documentation to support the submission:

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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

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