20240584 Ver 1_U-4713A_DWR 20240584v1_Mecklenburg__NCWRC Comments_20240430

9 North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission 9
Cameron Ingram, Executive Director
April 30, 2024
Steve Brumagin
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charlotte Regulatory Field Office
8430 University Executive Park Drive, Suite 615
Charlotte, NC 28262
Mary Plummer
401 and Buffer Transportation Permitting Branch
Department of Environmental Quality
610 E. Center Ave., Suite 301
Mooresville, NC 28115
SUBJECT: Comments on Application for McKee Road Extension, Mecklenburg (U-4713A)
DWR 20240584v1, WBS 39077.1.2
Dear Steve and Mary,
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) applied for authorizations for the subject
project. Comments from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) are offered to
conserve wildlife resources affected by the project and to promote wildlife -based recreation in accordance
with applicable provisions of the Clean Water Act of 1977 (33 U.S.C. 466 et seq.), and the Fish and
Wildlife Coordination Act (48 Stat. 401, as amended; 16 U.S.C. 661-667d).
Fourmile Creek downstream of the project area supports Carolina Darter (Etheostoma collis), a NC
species of concern. The streams in the project area are relatively small and probably impacted by
stormwater from surrounding development, though they did not rate low in NCSAM.
The NCWRC recommends that the trees on the project be cleared from November 16 to March 14 as a
conservative measure for the proposed endangered tricolored bat (Perimyotis subflavus). This measure
could be important here because this is a new location roadway project with appreciable tree clearing,
mostly on the western end of the project.
Mailing Address: Habitat Conservation • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
Telephone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]

U-4713A Page 2 April 30, 2024
Mecklenburg
The NCWRC supports the option to use rip rap as a backfill underlayment in the proposed reinforced
concrete box culvert (RCBC). While the stream is not currently in poor condition, the NCSAM sheets
note that the stream bed is mostly silt -gravel sized material. The RCBC will be long and moderately
steep, so the inclusion of some larger bed material like rip rap should help reduce the likelihood of the
unconsolidated backfill material washing -out.
Thank you for the opportunity to review and provide recommendations on this project. Please contact me
at david.mchenrykncwildlife.org or [phone] if you have any questions about these comments.
Sincerely,
Dave McHenry, NCWRC Western DOT Coordinator
cc: Joel Howard, Project Team Lead, Division 10, NCDOT