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Home My WebLink About20210145 Ver 1_T&E Supplemental info for R141 ePCN Form_20210503Supplemental Information – Union 329 Supplemental Information ePCN Form – NCDOT Division 10 – SR 1315 (New Town Road) over East Fork Twelve Mile Creek Project Number 17BP.10.PE.141 G. Supplemental Information 5. Endangered Species and Critical Habitat STV Engineers, Inc. (STV) conducted field reviews of an approximate 2.1-acre study area on October 3, 2018. Prior to the field reviews, STV reviewed U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and North Carolina Natural Heritage Program (NCNHP) online databases for information related to the occurrence of federal and state protected (threatened or endangered) species in Union County. The USFWS Raleigh Field Office online protected species database, updated June 27, 2018, lists four federally protected species as occurring or having the potential to occur in Union County including the bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) which is protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (Table 1). The Atlantic pigtoe (Fusconaia masoni) has also been included since it is listed as “Proposed Threatened” and is expected to be listed as “Threatened” in the near future. As of March 29, 2021, the NCNHP lists no occurrences of federally protected species within the study area, but has identified Michaux’s sumac as occurring within one mile of the study area. A brief description of each species, including habitat requirements and physical characteristics, and biological conclusion rendered based on surveys of the study area follow. Habitat requirements for each species are based on current available literature and/or the USFWS. Table 1. ESA federally protected species listed for Union County Scientific Name Common Name Federal Status Habitat Present Biological Conclusion Fusconaia masoni Atlantic pigtoe PT No No Effect Helianthus schweinitzii Schweinitz’s sunflower E Yes No Effect Lasmigona decorata Carolina heelsplitter E No No Effect Rhus michauxii Michaux’s sumac E Yes No Effect E - Endangered PT - Proposed Threatened Atlantic pigtoe USFWS optimal survey window: Undetermined The proposed rule and 12-month finding for the Atlantic pigtoe was published in the Federal Register (83 FR 51570 51609) on October 11, 2018. The Atlantic pigtoe is expected to be listed as a “Federally Threatened” species during the summer of 2021 and has been included in the species list for the project. The Atlantic pigtoe is a freshwater mussel species with a chunky, rhombus shape, like that of a pig’s hoof/toe. There is a distinct posterior ridge. The outer surface of the shell is yellow to dark brown and parchment-like, while the inner layer is iridescent blue to Supplemental Information – Union 329 salmon, white, or orange. Although larger specimens exist, the Atlantic pigtoe rarely exceeds 2 inches in length. The preferred habitat of the Atlantic pigtoe is coarse sand and gravel, and rarely in silt and detritus. Historically, the best populations existed in small creeks to larger rivers with excellent water quality, where flows were sufficient to maintain clean, silt-free substrates. Biological Conclusion: No Effect The NCDOT Biological Surveys Group qualified consultant conducted a habitat assessment and mussel survey for Atlantic pigtoe on June 14, 2016 and October 16, 2018 and prepared a Freshwater Mussel Survey Report. No mussels were found within the study area during either survey event. The survey results indicate that the survey location either does not support or supports a very limited freshwater mussel population due to the high silt load, unstable substrate, and cattle disturbance. A review of the NCNHP database on March 29, 2021, indicates no known occurrences within 1.0 mile of the study area. Schweinitz’s sunflower USFWS Optimal Survey Window: late August-October Habitat Description: Schweinitz's sunflower is endemic to the Piedmont of North and South Carolina. The few sites where this rhizomatous perennial herb occurs in relatively natural vegetation are found in Xeric Hardpan Forests. The species is also found along roadside rights-of-way, maintained power lines and other utility rights-of-way, edges of thickets and old pastures, clearings and edges of upland oak-pine-hickory woods and Piedmont longleaf pine forests, and other sunny or semi-sunny habitats where disturbances (e.g., mowing, clearing, grazing, blow downs, storms, frequent fire) help create open or partially open areas for sunlight. This sunflower is intolerant of full shade and excessive competition from other vegetation. Schweinitz’s sunflower occurs in a variety of soil series, including Badin, Cecil, Cid, Enon, Gaston, Georgeville, Iredell, Mecklenburg, Misenheimer, Secrest, Tatum, Uwharrie, and Zion, among others. This plant is generally found growing on shallow sandy soils with high gravel content; shallow, poor, clayey hardpans; or shallow rocky soils, especially those derived from mafic rocks. Biological Conclusion: No Effect Suitable habitat for Schweinitz's sunflower is present in the study area along roadside shoulders. Plant by plant surveys were conducted by STV biologist Brandon Phillips, CHMM throughout areas of suitable habitat on October 3, 2018. No individuals of Schweinitz's sunflower were observed and the field survey was conducted during the flowering season. A review of NCNHP records on March 29, 2021 indicates no known occurrences within one mile of the PSA and no effect to Schweinitz’s sunflower is anticipated. Carolina heelsplitter USFWS Recommended Survey Window: year round Habitat Description: The Carolina heelsplitter was historically known from several locations within the Catawba and Pee Dee River systems in North Carolina and the Pee Dee and Savannah River systems, and possibly the Saluda River system in South Carolina. In North Carolina, the species is now known only from a handful of streams in the Pee Dee and Supplemental Information – Union 329 Catawba River systems. The Carolina heelsplitter exists in very low abundances, usually within six feet of shorelines, throughout its known range. The general habitat requirements for the Carolina heelsplitter are shaded areas in large rivers to small streams, often burrowed into clay banks between the root systems of trees, or in runs along steep banks with moderate current. Per the USFWS’s Carolina Heelsplitter Five-Year Review: (2019), eleven populations of Carolina heelsplitter are known to exist, three of which occur within North Carolina. Specifically, two small remnant populations exist in Union County within the Catawba River system including one within Waxhaw Creek and one within Sixmile Creek. Another small population is known to exist in Union County within Goose Creek, a tributary to the Rocky River, located within the Pee Dee River system. Biological Conclusion: No Effect The NCDOT Biological Surveys Group qualified consultant conducted a habitat assessment and mussel survey for Carolina heelsplitter on June 14, 2016 and October 16, 2018 and prepared a Freshwater Mussel Survey Report. No mussels were found within the study area during either survey event. The survey results indicate that the survey location either does not support or supports a very limited freshwater mussel population due to the high silt load, unstable substrate, and cattle disturbance. No mussels were found within the study area. A review of the NCNHP database on March 29, 2021, indicates no known occurrences within 1.0 mile of the study area. Michaux’s sumac USFWS Optimal Survey Window: May-October Habitat Description: Michaux’s sumac, endemic to the inner Coastal Plain and lower Piedmont, grows in sandy or rocky, open, upland woods on acidic or circumneutral, well-drained sands or sandy loam soils with low cation exchange capacities. The species is also found on sandy or submesic loamy swales and depressions in the fall line Sandhills region as well as in openings along the rim of Carolina bays; maintained railroad, roadside, power line, and utility rights-of-way; areas where forest canopies have been opened up by blowdowns and/or storm damage; small wildlife food plots; abandoned building sites; under sparse to moderately dense pine or pine/hardwood canopies; and in and along edges of other artificially maintained clearings undergoing natural succession. In the central Piedmont, it occurs on clayey soils derived from mafic rocks. The plant is shade intolerant and, therefore, grows best where disturbance (e.g., mowing, clearing, grazing, periodic fire) maintains its open habitat. Biological Conclusion: No Effect Suitable habitat for Michaux’s sumac is present in the study area along roadside shoulders. Plant by plant surveys were conducted by STV biologist Brandon Phillips, CHMM throughout areas of suitable habitat on October 3, 2018. No individuals of Michaux’s sumac were observed and the field review was conducted during the survey window. A review of NCNHP records, updated March 29, 2021 indicates a known occurrence of Michaux’s sumac within one mile of the study area. Based on the field review inside the fruiting season, the available databases, and the limited area of proposed disturbance, i t is determined that this project will have no effect on Michaux's sumac. Supplemental Information – Union 329 Bald and Golden Eagle The bald eagle is protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, and enforced by the USFWS. Habitat for the bald eagle primarily consists of mature forests in proximity to large bodies of open water for foraging. Large dominant trees are utilized for nesting sites, typically within 1.0 mile of open water. A desktop-GIS assessment of the study area, as well as the area within a 1.0-mile radius of the project limits, was performed on March 29, 2021 using the latest NC OneMap Orthoimagery. The study area, crossing over East Fork Twelve Mile Creek, is not located near a large body of surface water. It was determined that an eagle survey was not necessary. A review of the NHP database on March 29, 2021 revealed no known occurrence of this species within 1.0 mile of the study area. Due to the lack of known occurrences, and minimal impact anticipated for this project, it has been determined that this project will not affect this species.