20160299_NCWRC Comments on FEIS_20070509

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MAY 0 9 2001
® North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
Richard B. Hamilton, Executive Director
MEMORANDUM
TO: Melba McGee
Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs, DENR
FROM: Travis Wilson, Highway Project Coordinator /4i —
Habitat Conservation Program
DATE: May 7, 2007
SUBJECT: North Carolina Department of Transportation ( NCDOT) Finial Environmental
Impact Statement (FEIS) for the proposed improvements to US 64 in Asheboro,
Randolph County North Carolina. TIP No. R -2536, SCH Project No. 07 -0325.
Staff biologists with the N. C. Wildlife Resources Commission have reviewed the subject
FEIS and are familiar with habitat values in the project area. The purpose of this review was to
assess project impacts to fish and wildlife resources. Our comments are provided in accordance
with certain provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(c)) and the
Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (48 Stat. 401, as amended; 16 U.S.C. 661-667d).
NCDOT proposes to construct the US 64 improvements as a four -lane, median - divided
facility with full control of access on new location, with a two lane two mile long parkway
facility connecting the NC Zoo. The preferred alternative for this project is 14 miles in length,
impacting 29,896 liner feet of jurisdictional streams and 3.3 acres of jurisdictional wetlands,
We have reviewed the data provided in the FEIS. At this time we concur with the FEIS for
this project. Thank you for the opportunity to comment. As a member of the Merger team we
will continue our involvement in future coordination for this project. If we can be of any further
assistance please call me at (919) 528 -9886.
cc: Gary Jordan, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Raleigh
Polly Lespinasse, DWQ, Raleigh
Richard Spencer, USAGE, Washington