20211243 Ver 1_Mod Request Attachment_20210907

22001 Loudoun County Parkway
Building E2, Suite 200
Ashburn, VA 20147
Eastern Federal Lands
Highway Division

SENT BY ELECTRONIC CORRESPONDENCE

Mr. Dave Wanucha
Division of Water Resources
NC Dept of Environmental Quality
Winston Salem, NC

Subject: National Park Service, Blue Ridge Parkway, Ashe County, NC
Laurel Fork Bridge Replacement- FHWA ID: NP-BLRI 2D17
Request for 401 Water Quality Certification

Dear Mr. Wanucha:

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the National Park Service (NPS) are
preparing plans for the replacement of Laurel Fork Bridge located at Milepost 248.85 on the
Blue Ridge Parkway, Ashe County, North Carolina. The bridge was constructed in 1939 and has
exceeded its expected service life. The new bridge will be built along the same line and grade to
match the historic characteristics of the original bridge as closely as possible. The project will
result in minor impacts to two wetlands and one stream. FHWA is submitting a Preconstruction
Notification and associated materials for your review. We are requesting Clean Water Act,
Section 401 Water Quality Certification.

BACKGROUND AND PREVIOUS COORDINATION:
The project is being conducted in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) and related environmental regulations. FHWA and NPS completed an Environmental
Assessment for the project and issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) on August
21, 2019. NPS was the lead federal agency for NEPA compliance. An agency scoping letter was
submitted to your office as part of the NEPA process. You submitted comments to FHWA/NPS
on September 5, 2018. The comments and recommendations have been incorporated into the
project plans and specifications.

Consultation with the US Fish and Wildlife Service related to federally regulated species has
been completed. A National Historic Preservation Act Memorandum of Agreement was
executed in consultation with the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office and two
Tribal Historic Preservation Offices. Additional state permitting is being pursued concurrently
including a Trout Buffer Waiver, Erosion and Sediment Control plan review, and National
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System coverage. A copy of this Preconstruction Notification
has also been submitted to the US Army Corp of Engineers to obtain Section 404 Nationwide
Permit.

WETLANDS AND WATERS OF THE U.S. IMPACT SUMMARY
Construction of the bridge will require the use of two temporary bridges and improvements to an
existing agricultural easement road. The permanent and temporary bridges were designed to

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avoid impacts to wetlands and streams. Widening of the existing agricultural road will result in
minor impacts to two wetlands and one stream. The total wetland impacts are 0.00243 acres (106
square feet), and stream impacts will be confined to 58 linear feet. The project impacts are no
more than minimal, and no compensatory mitigation is proposed. Per the instructions in the
Preconstruction notification for federal agencies, a check in the amount of $240.00 has been
issued, and will be sent to the Division of Water Quality 401/Wetland Unit in Raleigh.

FHWA and NPS are requesting your review of the enclosed materials (see list below). Please
provide your response to Mr. Ryan Kimberley, FHWA Environmental Protection Specialist,
[e-mail] . Feel free to contact Mr. Kimberley by email if you have any
comments or require any additional information. We appreciate your assistance with this
important project.

Sincerely,

Kevin S. Rose
Environmental Compliance Specialist

Enclosures
 Preconstruction Notification Form
 PCN Section A1D DWR Pre-filing Meeting Request Form
 PCN Section C4d Supplement- Topographical Map
 PCN Section C4e Supplement- Soils Map
 PCN Section C4J Supplement- Wetland and waters identification map
 PCN Section C4J supplement- Wetland and Waters Impact Map
 PCN Section C4J supplement- Project Engineer Plans
 PCN Section C4J supplement- Special Contract Requirements (supplemental
specifications)
o The standards specifications can be found at :
Standard Specifications (FP-14) | FHWA (dot.gov)
 PCN Section C5a supplement- Abridged Wetland Report and PJD request
 PCN Section C7 supplement- adjacent landowners
 PCN Section C8 supplement- Construction Schedule
 PCN Section G1 supplement- State Clearinghouse Comments
 PCN Section G1 supplement- NEPA/FONSI
 PCN Section G5 supplement- USFWS Section 7 concurrence
 PCN Section G7- Section 106 Memorandum of Agreement