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STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
JAMES B. HUNT JR. P.O. BOX 25201, RALEIGH, N.C. 27611-5201 DAVID MCCOY
GOVERNOR SECRETARY
October 29, 1999
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Raleigh Regulatory Field Office
6508 Falls of the Neuse Road, Suite 120 \/ \
Raleigh, NC 27615-6814
Attention: Mr. Eric Alsmeyer
NCDOT Permit Coordinator
USACE Action ID No. 199820059
Subject: Replacement of Bridge No. 346 over Big Horse Creek on SR 1350 in
Ashe County. TIP No. B-2910, State Project No. 8.2711001; Federal Aid
Project No. BRZ-1350(3).
Dear Eric:
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) proposes to replace
Bridge No. 346 over Big Horse Creek on SR 1350 in Ashe County. The U. S. Army
Corps of Engineers (USACCE) issued Clean Water Act § 404 Nationwide Permit No. 23
(Approved Categorical Exclusion) and Clean Water Act § 404 Nationwide Permit No. 6
(Survey Activities) on November 18, 1997. Additionally, NCDOT received approval for
the placement of fill material in wetlands or surface waters for this project under General
Water Quality Certification Numbers 3107 and 3127 from the North Carolina Division of
Water Quality (NCDWQ) (WQC 401 Project No. 970866). The permits expire on
November 18, 1999. The replacement of Bridge No 346 is not scheduled to be let to
construction until December 21, 1999. Consequently, NCDOT must renew authorization
for Nationwide Permit Nos. 6 and 23.
Information regarding the project description has not changed since the
distribution of the Categorical Exclusion (CE) in a letter dated September 26, 1997. The
existing bridge will be replaced with a bridge at approximately the same location as the
existing bridge. The roadway elevation will be approximately 3 feet higher than the
existing bridge to provide better flood conveyance. Traffic will be detoured along SR

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1350, NC 194 and SR 1347 during construction. The document remains valid in terms of
land use, architectural, archaeological, noise and air impacts associated with the project.
Since authorization of the Nationwide Permits, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service
now lists the rock gnome lichen (Gymnoderma lineare) for Ashe County. A Biological
Conclusion of No Effect was rendered for this species by NCODT biologists on
September 3, 1998 based on lack of suitable habitat at the project. This memo discussing
the potential impacts to this species from project construction is attached to this letter.
NCDOT guidelines state that all projects which had applied for a permit on or
before April 30, 1999 have been reviewed and cleared by all pertinent regulatory agencies
in regard to bridge demolition. The permits for this project were applied for on September
26, 1997. Therefore, bridge demolition will not be addressed in this permit renewal
application.
The project is located in Ashe County, which is a North Carolina Wildlife
Resource Commission (NCWRC) designated trout county`. The NCWRC issued a letter
of concurrence for this project on October 8, 1997. The letter stated that the project will
not impact NCWRC Designated Public Mountain Trout Waters, nor will the project cause
significant effects. to waters supporting trout.
The NCDOT requests that the USACE reauthorize this bridge replacement project
under Clean Water Act § 404 Nationwide Permit Nos. 6 and 23. Additionally, NCDOT
also requests that the NCDWQ reauthorize this project under a Section 401 Water Quality
Certification. If you have any questions or need additional information, please call Chris
Murray, P.W.S. at [phone] ext. 304 or e-mail at: [e-mail].
Sincerely,
?, C ??
William Gilmore, P.E., Branch Manager
Project Development and Environmental
Analysis Branch
cc: John Dorney, NCDWQ, Raleigh
William Rogers, P.E., Structure Design
Ron Linville, NC WRC, Kernersville
Calvin Leggett, P.E., Programming & TIP
Debbie Barbour, P.E., Design Services
A.L. Hankins, P.E., Hydraulics Unit
John Alford, P.E., Roadway Design
W.E. Hoke, P.E., Division 11 Engineer
Mark Cantrell, USFWS, Asheville
Bill Moore, P.E., L.G., Geotechnical Unit
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STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
JAMES B. HUNT JR. P.O. Box 25201, RALEIGH, N.C. 27611-5201 E. NORRIS TOLSON
GovERNOR
03 September 1998
SECRETARY
MEMORANDUM TO: Wayne Elliott, Unit Head
Bridge Unit
FROM: Dale Suiter, Environmental Biologist -T))J?AAA
Permits, Mitigation, and Natural Resouurces Unit
SUBJECT: Biological Conclusion for rock gnome lichen (Gymnoderme
lineare) at the following bridge projects in Ashe County: 6-
1037, B-2904, B-2906, B-2907, B-2910, B-3107, B-3109.
ATTENTION: John Williams, P.E., Project Manager
Bridge Unit
The Natural Resources Technical Reports for the subject bridge projects were
completed prior to the rock gnome lichen (Gymonderma lineare) being listed for Ashe
County. Therefore, those reports did not discuss this species or the potential for its
occurrence at the project sites. This memorandum describes this species and offers a
biological conclusion for each project.
Gymonderma lineare (Rock gnome lichen) Endangered
Plant Family: Cladoniaceae
Federally Listed: December 28, 1994
The rock gnome lichen is a squamulose lichen in the reindeer moss family. This
lichen is a narrow endemic, restricted to areas of high humidity. These high humidity
environments occur on high elevation (> 1220 m/ 4000 ft) mountaintops and cliff faces
which are frequently bathed in fog or lower elevation (< 762 m/ 2500 ft) deep gorges in
the Southern Appalachians. The rock gnome lichen primarily occurs on vertical rock
faces where seepage water from forest soils above flows at (and only at) very wet times.
The rock gnome lichen is almost always found growing with the moss Adreaea in these
vertical intermittent seeps. The high elevation habitat occurs in the counties of Ashe,
Avery, Buncombe, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Mitchell, Rutherford, Swain,
Transylvania, and Yancey. The lower elevation habitat of the rock gnome lichen can be
found in the counties of Jackson, Rutherford and Transylvania.
The terminal portions of the rock gnome lichen resemble strap-like lobes, having
a blue-gray color on the upper surface and generally a shiny-white color on the lower
surface. The color of the fungi near the base is black. The squamules are nearly
parallel to the rock surface and are generally 1 to 2 centimeters in length. The fruiting
bodies are born singly or in clusters, black in color, and are found at the tips of the
squamules. The fruiting season of the rock gnome lichen occurs from July through
September. The primary means of propagation appears to be asexual, with colonies
spreading clonally.
The major threat of extinction to the rock gnome lichen relates directly to habitat
alteration/loss of high elevation coniferous forests. The thinning and death of these
forest occurs from exotic insect pests, trampling of hikers and associated soil erosion
and compaction from hikers. These coniferous forests usually lie adjacent to the habitat
occupied by the rock gnome lichen. Drastic changes in microclimate (including
increased temperatures and decreased moisture) result from the impacts to these
forests. These alterations of the microclimate lead to the desiccation of the rock gnome
lichen.
Biological Conclusion: No Effec`
The subject bridges are all located at elevations lower than 1220 m (4000 ft), thF
established minimum elevation for populations of rock gnome lichen known fron-,
mountaintops and cliff faces that are bathed in fog (Table 1). As far as the possibility of
low elevation populations at these bridges, none of the projects contain vertical rock
faces in deep river gorges. In addition, the low elevation populations of this species are
known only from Jackson, Rutherford and Transylvania counties, well southwest of Ashe
County. These projects will not impact rock gnome lichen.
Table 1. Ashe County bridges and corresponding elevations along with biological
conclusions for the rock gnome lichen.
Bridge TIP' Elevation Biological Conclusion
B-1037 2600' No Effect
B-2904 3000' No Effect
B-2906 2550' No Effect
B-2907 3100' No Effect
B-2910 2750' No Effect
B-3107 2700' No Effect
B-3109 2850' No Effect
Please contact me at [phone] ext. 303 if you have any questions
concerning these projects.
cc: V. Charles Bruton, Ph.D., Environmental Unit Head
Hal Bain, Environmental Supervisor
File: B-1037, B-2904, B-2906, B-2907, B-2910, B-3107, B-3109.
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