20080460 Ver 1_NC 294 (3)_20080715

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® North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission

TO: Melba McGee, Environmental Coordinator
Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs, DENR

FROM: Marla Chambers, Western NCDOT Permit Coordinator`` C~ Q'm
Habitat Conservation Program, NCWRC

DATE: July 10, 2008

SUBJECT: Review of the state Environmental Assessment/Finding of No Significant Impact
document for NCDOT's proposed upgrade of NC 294 from SR 1308 (Sandy Gap
Road) to SR 1130 (Sunny Point Road) and replacement of Bridge No. 50 over
Persimmon Creek, Cherokee County. TIP No. R-3622A. OLIA Project No. 08-
0346, due 07/13/2008 (extension).

North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has submitted for review a state
Environmental Assessment/Finding of No Significant Impact (EA/FONSI) document for the
subject project. Staff biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
(NCWRC) have reviewed the information provided. These comments are provided in
accordance with the 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).

The NCDOT proposes to widen and realign NC 294 from SR 1308 (Sandy Gap Road) to SR
1130 (Sunny Point Road), including a bridge replacement over Persimmon Creek where it joins
Lake Cherokee, for a project length of approximately 1.8 miles. Much of the land in the project
area is owned by the U.S. Forest Service and is part of the Nanatahala National Forest. Access
to Lake Cherokee and its dam are located off NC 294 near Persimmon Creek. Public access,
which was not addressed in the document, should not be negatively impacted by the project.

Permanent jurisdictional impacts expected from the project include 1.67 acres of wetlands and
253 linear feet of streams. NCWRC appreciates the efforts made to survey federal and state
listed species, as well as forest sensitive and forest concern species, in the project area. A
designated forest sensitive species, the Southern Nodding Trillium (Trillium rugelli), is also
expected to be impacted and commitments have been made to relocate the plants and soil. Three
build alternatives were considered, the Southern Alternative, the Northern Alternative, and the

Mailing Address: Division of Inland Fisheries • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
Telephone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]

• R-3622A, NC 294 2 July 10, 2008
Persimmon Creek & UT's, Cherokee Co.
Symmetric Alternative. We recommend that an Asymmetric or "Best-Fit" alignment be
considered in order to assure that impacts to jurisdictional resources and sensitive species have
been minimized.

Thank you for the opportunity to review and comment on this project. If you have any questions
regarding these comments, please contact me at [phone].

cc: Michael R. Parker, NCDWQ
Brian Wrenn, NCDWQ
Marella Buncick, USFWS
Angie Rodgers, NCNHP