PN-24-37-NAB-2023-61316-M46 (MDOT SHA/FMIS NO GA173C21/US 219 Bridge NO 1102400 Replacement)

                        Public Notice

U.S. Army Corps              In Reply to Application Number
of Engineers                    NAB-2023-61316-M46 (MDOT SHA/FMIS No. GA173C21/US 219 Bridge No. 1102400 Replacement)

Baltimore District
PN-24-37                          Comment Period: December 13, 2024 to January 12, 2025
THE PURPOSE OF THIS PUBLIC NOTICE IS TO INFORM INTERESTED PARTIES OF THE PROPOSED ACTIVITY AND TO SOLICIT COMMENTS. NO DECISION HAS BEEN MADE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT A PERMIT WILL BE ISSUED AT THIS TIME.

This District has received an application for a Department of the Army permit pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (33 USC 1344),as described below:

APPLICANT:
Maryland State Highway Administration
Attn: Ms. Nora Bucke
707 North Calvert Street, Mailstop C-303
Baltimore, Maryland 21202

WATERWAY AND LOCATION OF THE PROPOSED WORK:

The proposed project is located in the Youghiogheny River and its unnamed tributaries, in Redhouse, Garrett County, Maryland. (Latitude: 39.294457, Longitude: -79.468281)

OVERALL PROJECT PURPOSE:

To realign a section of U.S. Route 219 and replace bridge number 1102400 over the Youghiogheny River to improve safety, operations, and to reduce traffic congestion.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

To discharge fill material into waters of the U.S. for roadway realignment and the replacement of bridge number 1102400 on U.S. Route 219 over the Youghiogheny River to improve safety, operations, and to reduce traffic congestion. The existing U.S. 219 roadway section in the project area consists of one 11-foot-wide lane in each direction. The existing single span bridge over the Youghiogheny River is a concrete arch structure providing a clear roadway width of approximately 24 feet and an overall length of 23 feet. A section of U.S. Route 219 including the bridge crossing will be realigned to the east (upstream) of the existing alignment. The proposed bridge will be a 55-foot-long prestressed slab bridge providing two, 11-foot-wide travel lanes with 5-foot shoulders for a total clear roadway width of 32 feet. The roadway realignment and bridge replacement work will permanently impact approximately 27,956 square feet (SF) of nontidal wetland and 270 linear feet (LF) (4,413 SF) of nontidal stream channel and will temporarily impact approximately 12,651 SF of nontidal wetlands and 25 LF (161 SF) of nontidal stream channel located adjacent to U.S. Route 219 in Redhouse, Garrett County, Maryland. The applicant is proposing on-site permittee responsible compensatory mitigation through stream relocation and restoration and creation of nontidal wetlands.

Please refer to the table below for a summary of aquatic resource impacts.

EFFECTS ON AQUATIC RESOURCES:

LEAD FEDERAL AGENCY:

The United States Army Corps of Engineers, as the lead federal agency, is responsible for all coordination pursuant to applicable federal authorities.

APPLICANT’S PROPOSED AVOIDANCE, MINIMIZATION, AND COMPENSATORY MITIGATION:

As part of the planning process for the proposed project, steps were taken to ensure avoidance and minimization of impacts to aquatic resources to the maximum extent practicable based on the existing site conditions.

The applicant considered several alternative designs to meet the project goals of realigning a section of U.S. Route 219 and replacing the bridge over the Youghiogheny River while also avoiding and minimizing impacts to the Youghiogheny River and its unnamed tributaries. Alternative designs considered include a no build alternative, re-alignment east, re-alignment west, and modifying the existing alignment. The proposed roadway re-alignment and bridge replacement described above provides improved safety, operations, and reduction of traffic, while also minimizing impacts to the Youghiogheny River and its unnamed tributaries.

Mitigation for unavoidable nontidal stream and wetland impacts associated with the project are proposed to be satisfied through on-site permittee responsible mitigation. Compensatory wetland mitigation will be required at 2:1 ratio for nontidal scrub-shrub wetlands and at a 1:1 ratio for nontidal emergent wetlands. The applicant’s preferred mitigation package include satisfying compensatory mitigation requirements for nontidal stream and wetland impacts through on-site permittee responsible mitigation adjacent to the project site, along an unnamed tributary to the Youghiogheny River in Redhouse, Garrett County, Maryland. The mitigation site will provide approximately 24,815 square feet of nontidal forested wetland creation, 3,950 square feet of nontidal scrub shrub wetland creation, and 33,522 square feet of nontidal emergent wetland creation. The applicant is proposing to relocate and restore approximately 2,166 linear feet of an unnamed tributary to the Youghiogheny River. The existing stream channel location has been artificially ditched and has down-cut through the post settlement sediments and into the pre-settlement gravels, groundwater and epifaunal substrate. The proposed mitigation approach will involve reconnecting the stream channel and floodplain by removing as much of the legacy sediments as possible and restoring the natural functions of the floodplain and riparian corridor by creating a high-quality wetland complex across the full width of the floodplain at close vertical proximity to the existing water table, resulting in a gain in functional feet of stream mitigation credit.

CORPS EVALUATION REQUIREMENTS:

This project will be evaluated pursuant to Corps Regulatory Program Regulations (33 CFR Parts 320-332). The decision whether to issue a permit will be based on an evaluation of the probable impacts, including cumulative impacts of the proposed activity on the public interest. That decision will reflect the national concern for both protection and utilization of important resources. The benefit, which reasonable may be expected to accrue from the proposal, must be balanced against its reasonably foreseeable detriments. All factors, which may be relevant to the proposal will be considered, including the cumulative effects thereof; among those are conservation, economic, aesthetics, general environmental concerns, wetlands, cultural values, fish and wildlife values, flood hazards, flood plain values, land use, navigation, shoreline erosion and accretion, recreation, water supply and conservation, water quality, energy needs, safety, food and fiber production, mineral needs, and consideration of property ownership and in general, the needs and welfare of the people. The evaluation of the impact of this project will also include application of the Clean Water Act Section 404(b)(1) Guidelines promulgated by the Administrator, United States Environmental Protection Agency.

ENDANGERED SPECIES:

A preliminary review of this application indicates that the proposed work is not likely to adversely affect federally listed threatened or endangered species or their critical habitat, pursuant to Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, as amended. As the evaluation of this application continues, additional information may become available which could modify this preliminary determination.

ESSENTIAL FISH HABITAT:

The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSFCMA), as amended by the Sustainable Fisheries Act of 1996 (Public Law 04-267), requires all federal agencies to consult with the National Marine Fisheries Service on all actions, or proposed actions, permitted, funded, or undertaken by the agency that may adversely affect Essential Fish Habitat (EFH), including species of concern, life cycle habitat, or Habitat Areas of Particular Concern. The project site lies in or adjacent to EFH as described under MSFCMA for managed species under the MSFCMA. The Baltimore District has made a preliminary determination that the project is not withinon EFH. The Baltimore District has made a preliminary determination that mitigative measures are not required to minimize adverse effects on EFH at this time. This determination may be modified if additional information indicates otherwise.

HISTORIC RESOURCES:

Pursuant to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and applicable guidance, the Corps has reviewed the latest published version of the National Register of Historic Places and initially determined that no registered properties listed as eligible for inclusion, therein, are located at the site of the proposed work. The Corps has made the preliminary determination that the proposed project would have no adverse effect on historic properties. The Corps final eligibility and effect determination will be based on coordination with the State Historic Preservation Office as appropriate and required, and with full consideration given to the proposed undertaking’s potential direct and indirect effects on historic properties within the Corps’ identified permit area.

TRIBAL RESOURCES:

Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act also requires federal agencies to consult with federally recognized American Indian tribes that attach religious and cultural significance to historic properties that may be affected by the agency’s undertaking. Corps Tribal Consultation Policy mandates an open, timely, meaningful, collaborative, and effective deliberative communication process that emphasizes trust respect, and shared responsibility. The policy further emphasizes that, to the extent practicable and permitted by law, consultation works toward mutual consensus and begins at the earliest planning stages before decisions are made and actions taken. The Corps final eligibility and effect determination will be based on coordination with interested tribes, in accordance with the Corps current tribal standard operating procedures as appropriate and required, and with full consideration given to the proposed undertaking’s potential direct and indirect effects on tribal resources.

MODIFICATION OF CIVIL WORKS PROJECTS: 33 USC 408 (SECTION 408):

All Section 408 proposals will be coordinated internally at the United States Army Corps of Engineers. The Section 408 decision will be issued along with the Section 404 and/or Section 10 decision. Please see the following link for more information regarding Section 408: https://www.nab.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/Section-408-Requests/.

WATER QUALITY CERTIFICATION:

The applicant is required to obtain a water quality certification in accordance with Section 401 of the Clean Water Act.

COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS:

Where applicable, the applicant has certified in this application that the proposed activity complies with and will be conducted in a manner consistent with the approved Coastal Zone Management Program. By this public notice, we are requesting the State concurrence or objection to the applicant’s consistency statement.

The applicant must obtain any state or local government permits which may be required.

SUBMISSION OF COMMENTS:

The Corps of Engineers is soliciting comments from the public; federal, state, and local agencies and officials; Indian Tribes; and other interested parties in order to consider and evaluate the impacts of this proposed activity. Any comments received will be considered by the Corps of Engineers to determine whether to issue, modify, condition, or deny a permit for this proposal. To make this decision, comments are used to assess impacts on endangered species, historic properties, water quality, general environmental effects, and the other public interest factors listed above. Comments are used in the preparation of an Environmental Assessment and/or an Environmental Impact Statement pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act. Comments provided will become part of the public record for this action and are subject to release to the public through the Freedom of Information Act. Comments are also used to determine the need for a public hearing and to determine the overall public interest of the proposed activity.

Written comments concerning the work described above related to the factors listed above or other pertinent factors must be received by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District within the comment period specified above through postal mail at the address below or electronic submission to the project manager email address below. Written comments should reference the Application Number
NAB-2023-61316-M46.

PUBLIC HEARING REQUESTS:

Any person who has an interest which may be adversely affected by the issuance of this permit may request a public hearing. The request, which must be in writing, must be received within the comment period as specified above to receive consideration. Also, it must clearly set forth the interest which may be adversely affected by this activity and the manner in which the interest may be adversely affected. The public hearing request may be submitted by electronic mail or mailed to the following address:

Ms. Nicole Nasteff
Nicole.m.voelker@usace.amry.mil
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District
Regulatory Branch
2 Hopkins Plaza, Baltimore, MD 21201

It is requested that you communicate this information concerning the proposed work to any persons known by you to be interested, who did not receive a copy of this notice.

General information regarding the Corps’ permitting process can be found on our website at https://www.nab.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory.aspx. This public notice has been prepared in accordance with Corps implementing regulations at 33 CFR 325.3. If you have any questions concerning this specific project or would like to request a paper copy of this public notice, please contact Ms. Nicole Nasteff, (410) 962-1847, nicole.m.voelker@usace.army.mil). This public notice is issued by the Chief, Regulatory Branch.