20241173 Ver 1_R-5840 - Polk County - NCWRC Comments (4.23.24)_20240906

® North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
Cameron Ingram, Executive Director
April 23, 2024
Robert Lepsic, PWS
Embedded Environmental Specialist
NCDOT Highway Division 14
253 Webster Rd
Sylva, NC 28779
Subject Comments on Widening NC 9 from NC 108 to US 74 in Polk County. R-5840.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) invited comments on the subject road
improvement project. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission's (NCWRC) comments are
offered to conserve wildlife resources and to promote wildlife -based recreation in accordance with the
applicable provisions of the state and federal Environmental Policy Acts (G.S. 1 13A-1 through 1 13-10; 1
NCAC 25 and 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(c), respectively) and the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (48 Stat.
401, as amended; 16 U.S.C. 661-667d).
Polk bridge 29 over Little White Oak Creek, which is in the project area, will be replaced under a separate
already permitted project (BP 14.R014). That project will impact a closed -out Division of Mitigation Services
easement, which required coordination with the Interagency Review Team and an easement from the State
Property Office. When R-5840 was being designed, the NCDOT directed the project designers to avoid
further impacts to the mitigation easement including along two unnamed tributaries north of Little White Oak
Creek that abut the southern edge of NC 9 right-of-way.
The NCWRC does not have any specific resource concerns with this project other than avoiding the
mitigation easements, if possible. Removal of trees is encouraged outside of active bat seasons as prescribed
by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Little White Oak Creek is considered a trout watershed for 404
purposes, but it should not support trout or trout spawning. Therefore, the trout moratorium should be waived
for any permits that may be required.
Please contact me at david.mchenrynncwildlife.org or [phone] if you have any questions about
these comments. Thank you for the opportunity to review and comment on this project.
Mailing Address: Habitat Conservation • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
Telephone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]

R-5840 Page 2
Polk County
Cordially,
Dave McHenry, NCWRC Western DOT Coordinator
cc: Patrick Breedlove, NCDOT Division 14 PDEA Engineer
April 23, 2024