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9 North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission 0

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

FROM: Marla Chambers, Western NCDOT Permit Coordinator`'
Habitat Conservation Program, NCWRC

DATE: June 17, 2008

SUBJECT: Review of the scoping sheet from the City of Winston-Salem and NCDOT for
improvements to Clemmonsville Road (SR 2747) from Old Salisbury Road (SR
3011) to South Main Street, Forsyth County. TIP No. U-2923. OLIA Project
No. 08-0365, due 06/27/2008.

The City of Winston-Salem and the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) are
requesting comments from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC)
regarding impacts to fish and wildlife resources resulting from the subject project. Staff
biologists have reviewed the information provided on the scoping sheet and have the following
preliminary comments. 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 improve Clemmonsville Road (SR 2747) from Old Salisbury Road (SR
3011) to South Main Street by widening to a three-lane section with some additional intersection
improvements. There are no known areas of wetlands or surface waters within the project study
area and direct impacts are not anticipated, however, surveys will be conducted to verify this.
The project drains to Salem Creek to the north and South Fork Muddy Creek to the south, both
Class C waters within the Muddy Creek watershed. Salem Creek is on the 303(d) list of
impaired waters.

Secondary and cumulative impacts are our main concern for this project. The project is located
in a highly developed setting. Numerous studies have shown that when 10-15% of a watershed
is converted to impervious surfaces, there is a serious decline in the health of receiving waters

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

U-2923, Clemmonsville Road
Winston-Salem, Forsyth Co. -2- June 17, 2008
(Schueler 1994) and the quality of fish habitat and wetlands are negatively impacted (Booth
1991, Taylor 1993). We encourage NCDOT and the City of Winston-Salem to protect water
quality and habitat through the use of Low Impact Development (LID) techniques, stormwater
and growth management, and other mitigation efforts. Information on Low Impact Development
practices and measures can be found at www.lowimpactdevelopment.org,
http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/lid/lidnatl.pdf and http://www.stormwatercenter.net/. Measures
to mitigate secondary and cumulative impacts can be found in the Guidance Memorandum to
Address and Mitigate Secondary and Cumulative Impacts to Aquatic and Terrestrial Wildlife
Resources and Water Quality (NCWRC 2002).

In addition, to help facilitate document preparation and the review process, our general
information needs are outlined below:

1. Description of fishery and wildlife resources within the project area, including a listing of
federally or state designated threatened, endangered, or special concern species. Potential
borrow areas to be used for project construction should be included in the inventories. A
listing of designated plant species can be developed through consultation with the
following programs:

The Natural Heritage Program
http://www.ncnhp.org
1601 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, N. C. 27699-1601
and,

NCDA Plant Conservation Program
P. O. Box 27647
Raleigh, N. C. 27611
[phone]

2. Description of any streams or wetlands affected by the project. If applicable, include the
linear feet of stream that will be channelized or relocated.

3. Cover type maps showing wetland acreage impacted by the project. Wetland acreage
should include all project-related areas that may undergo hydrologic change as a result of
ditching, other drainage, or filling for project construction. Wetland identification may
be accomplished through coordination with the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers
(USAGE). If the USACE is not consulted, the person delineating wetlands should be
identified and criteria listed.

4. Cover type maps showing acreage of upland wildlife habitat impacted by the proposed
project. Potential borrow sites and waste areas should be included.
i
5. Show the extent to which the project will result in loss, degradation, or fragmentation of
wildlife habitat (wetlands or uplands).
I

U-2923, Clemmonsville Road
Winston-Salem, Forsyth Co. -3 - June 17, 2008
6. Include the mitigation plan for avoiding, minimizing or compensating for direct and
indirect degradation in habitat quality as well as quantitative losses.

7. Address the overall environmental effects of the project construction and quantify the
contribution of this individual project to environmental degradation.

8. Provide a discussion of the probable impacts on natural resources, which will result from
secondary development, facilitated by the improved road access.

9. If construction of this facility is to be coordinated with other state, municipal, or private
development projects, a description of these projects should be included in the
environmental document, and all project sponsors should be identified.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide input in the early planning stages of this project. If you
have any questions regarding these comments, please contact me at [phone].

cc: Brian Wrenn, NCDWQ
Amy Euliss, NCDWQ

Literature Cited:

Booth, D. 1991. Urbanization and the natural drainage system-impacts, solutions, and
prognoses. Northwest Environmental Journal. 7(1):93-118.

NCWRC (North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission). 2002. Guidance Memorandum to
Address and Mitigate Secondary and Cumulative Impacts to Aquatic and Terrestrial
Wildlife Resources and Water Quality. NCWRC, Raleigh. Available:
http:l/www.newildlife.org/pg07_WildlifeSpeciesCon/pg7c3_impacts.pdf. (February
2003).
Schueler, Tom. 1994. The Importance of Imperviousness. Watershed Protection Techniques.
1:3 (pp100-111).

Taylor, B.L. 1993. The influences of wetland and watershed morphological characteristics and
relationships to wetland vegetation communities. Masters thesis. Dept. of Civil
Engineering. University of Washington. Seattle, WA.