If you work in US environmental consulting, you've used IPaC. It's the USFWS's official planning tool, and it's the required starting point for any project that needs ESA Section 7 consultation. But IPaC doesn't do everything - and that's where confusion starts.
This guide explains exactly what IPaC provides, what it doesn't, how EcoCheck US fills the gaps, and how to use both tools together for a complete desktop assessment.
What Is IPaC?
IPaC - Information for Planning and Consultation - is a free online tool from the US Fish and Wildlife Service. It helps project proponents identify USFWS-managed resources that may be affected by a proposed project.
IPaC is the official tool for generating species lists for Section 7 consultation. If your project has a federal nexus and you need to consult with USFWS, IPaC is where you start.
What IPaC gives you:
Official species lists. When you log in and define a project location, IPaC generates an official list of ESA-listed species that may be present in your action area. This is the species list the Services expect to see referenced in your Biological Assessment.
Critical Habitat identification. IPaC shows whether your project overlaps with or is near designated Critical Habitat.
Conservation measures. IPaC provides species-specific conservation measures - recommended actions to avoid or minimize impacts during project activities.
ESA Review process. For certain project types in certain areas, IPaC offers a streamlined ESA Review that can result in automatic concurrence for NLAA determinations.
Consultation Package Builder. IPaC's CPB tool helps you prepare informal consultation packages for submission to USFWS.
Migratory bird information. IPaC identifies migratory birds of conservation concern that may be present in the project area.
What IPaC does NOT give you:
Protected area boundaries. IPaC does not show National Parks, National Wildlife Refuges, Wilderness Areas, state parks, or other protected area polygons in detail. It flags NWRs if your project is near one, but it doesn't provide the PAD-US protected areas data.
Wetland mapping. IPaC does not include NWI wetland data. You won't see wetland types, Cowardin codes, or acreage. You need to check the NWI mapper separately.
Flood zone data. IPaC does not include FEMA flood zone information. You need the FEMA Flood Map Service Center for that.
Species occurrence records. This is the critical gap. IPaC tells you which species may be present based on range maps and habitat models. It does not tell you which species have actually been observed near your site. For that, you need occurrence data from GBIF, state Natural Heritage Programs, or targeted field surveys.
NMFS species. IPaC covers USFWS-managed species only. Marine and anadromous species under NMFS jurisdiction are not included. For those, you need NMFS resources.
State-listed species. IPaC only covers federally listed species. State-listed species that aren't federally listed won't appear in IPaC results.
What Is EcoCheck US?
EcoCheck US is a desktop assessment tool that consolidates multiple federal environmental data sources into a single search. Enter coordinates or a zip code, choose a search radius, and get results from five federal data sources simultaneously.
What EcoCheck gives you:
USFWS Critical Habitat. The same Critical Habitat data as IPaC, queried spatially for your search area.
PAD-US protected areas. National Parks, National Wildlife Refuges, Wilderness Areas, National Forests, state parks, wildlife management areas, tribal lands, and conservation easements - with management type and acreage.
NWI wetland data. Wetland types with Cowardin classification codes and acreage from the National Wetlands Inventory.
FEMA flood zones. Flood zone designations including SFHA identification.
GBIF species occurrence records. Actual species observations for 25 ESA-critical species groups, with record counts, year ranges, data sources, and licensing information. You see what has been recorded near your site, not just what might theoretically be there.
Corridor search. Multi-point linear infrastructure assessment - check multiple points along a route with results merged and deduplicated.
Report generation. Pro subscribers get auto-generated Desktop Reports and Toolbox Talks with survey recommendations, constraint matrices, and applicable legislation - formatted as Word documents ready for submission.
What EcoCheck does NOT give you:
Official species lists. EcoCheck does not generate the official USFWS species list required for Section 7 consultation. You still need IPaC for that.
ESA Review or consultation. EcoCheck is a screening tool, not a consultation tool. You cannot submit EcoCheck results to USFWS as a formal consultation package.
State Natural Heritage Program data. EcoCheck flags relevant state NHPs and provides direct links, but does not query state databases directly. You still need to submit formal data requests to state agencies.
NMFS species. Like IPaC, EcoCheck focuses on USFWS-managed terrestrial and freshwater species.
The Key Difference
Think of it this way:
IPaC answers: "Which listed species should I evaluate for this project, and what are the official consultation requirements?"
EcoCheck answers: "What has actually been found near this site - species records, protected areas, wetlands, flood zones, and Critical Habitat - all in one search?"
IPaC is regulatory. EcoCheck is operational. You need both.
Using Both Together: A Practical Workflow
Here's how to use both tools for maximum efficiency on a typical project:
Step 1: Run EcoCheck first. Enter your coordinates and search radius. In seconds, you'll know what Critical Habitat, protected areas, wetlands, flood zones, and species records exist near your site. This gives you the full environmental constraints picture before you start the formal process.
Step 2: Review EcoCheck results. Identify which ESA-listed species have actual occurrence records near your site. Note which protected areas are within your search buffer. Flag any wetlands that may require Section 404 coordination. Check flood zone designations.
Step 3: Log into IPaC. Define your project location and generate the official species list. Compare it against what EcoCheck found - are there species on the IPaC list that have no occurrence records? Are there species with EcoCheck records that aren't on the IPaC list? These discrepancies inform your field survey design.
Step 4: Use IPaC's consultation tools. If your project qualifies for the ESA Review process, follow it through IPaC. If you need to prepare a Biological Assessment for formal consultation, use the official species list from IPaC as your species roster.
Step 5: Generate your desktop report. EcoCheck Pro generates a formatted Desktop Report that compiles all federal findings - designations, species, wetlands, flood zones - into a professional Word document with survey recommendations and applicable legislation. This serves as the desktop study component of your BA or EA.
When You Only Need One Tool
Use only IPaC when:
- You need the official species list for a Section 7 consultation package
- Your project qualifies for IPaC's streamlined ESA Review
- You're preparing a formal consultation submission to USFWS
Use only EcoCheck when:
- You're screening a site for a private developer who wants to know what environmental constraints exist before purchasing
- You're scoping a project and need to quickly assess which data sources to check in detail
- You're doing a corridor assessment along a linear route and need multi-point results consolidated
- You want species occurrence records, not just predicted species ranges
Use both when:
- You're preparing a Biological Assessment for formal Section 7 consultation
- You're writing a NEPA Environmental Assessment or Environmental Impact Statement
- You need both the official species list (IPaC) and the broader environmental context (EcoCheck)
- You want to cross-reference IPaC's predicted species with actual occurrence records from GBIF
The Bottom Line
IPaC is irreplaceable for formal ESA consultation. It's the official tool, it generates the official species list, and it's what the Services expect to see referenced in your documents.
EcoCheck is irreplaceable for the broader desktop assessment. It consolidates five federal data sources into one search, shows you what has actually been recorded near your site, and generates professional reports that save hours of manual compilation.
Use them together and your desktop study is thorough, efficient, and defensible.
Patrick O'Connor is a Freelance Ecologist at Kinterra Consulting and the developer of EcoCheck US - an instant ecological desktop assessment tool for any US location. Try it free at ecocheckus.com.