20141169 All Versions_USFWS Comments_20080827

United States Department of the Interior
FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
Raleigh Field Office
Post Office Box 33726
Raleigh, North Carolina 27636-3726
August 27, 2008
Gregory J Thorpe, PhD
North Carolina Department of Transportation
Project Development and Environmental Analysis
1548 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1548
Dear Dr Thorpe
This letter is in response to your letter of February 15, 2008 regarding the wildlife underpass for
R-2514, the widening of US 17 from Belgrade to New Bern in Onslow and Jones Counties In
that letter you state that the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) agrees to
fund and construct a single wildlife underpass as part of the US 17 highway improvement
project, subject to several stated design criteria and provisions The U S Fish and Wildlife
Service (Service) acknowledges NCDOT's cooperation, and we agree that the contribution of
this wildlife underpass is a beneficial avoidance and minimization measure for the project
The Service agrees with your stated design criteria and provisions, with one caveat In light of
information that was presented by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the subsequent
discussion at the August 25, 2008 meeting held by NCDOT with the other partnering agencies,
we ask that NCDOT allow The Nature Conservancy to obtain an executed agreement
demonstrating control over something less than the entire Weyerhaeuser Tract In order to have
a viable wildlife corridor between the Croatan National Forest and Hoffinan State Forest, a
corridor of substantial width is needed, however, control over the entire Weyerhaeuser Tract
would not be necessary At the August 25, 2008 meeting, three possible alternatives were
discussed
An easement on something less than the entire Weyerhaeuser Tract
TNC purchase of the property fee simple, but allowing Weyerhaeuser to continue
growing and harvesting timber for some length of time
Long-term lease of the property
It was our understanding that you agreed, in principle, to TNC pursuing all of these additional
options We understand that, in order for NCDOT to fund this project, there must be an
assurance that the wildlife corridor will be viable and protected
Also discussed at the August 25, 2008 meeting was the status of access to Forest Service Road
(FSR) 204 On March 27, 2007, staff from the Service, North Carolina Wildlife Resources
Commission, TNC, U S Forest Service (USFS) and others met in the field at FSR 204 During
that meeting, Lauren Hillman, former District Ranger at Croatan National Forest, stated that FSR
204 access to US 17 could be eliminated and a small portion (i e few hundred feet) of the road
removed It was understood that eliminating the FSR 204 access to US 17 was an important
component to malting the wildlife underpass as successful as possible It came as a surprise
when Mr Ray Johns from the USFS stated on August 25, 2008 that the USFS would not be able
to eliminate the FSR 204 access to US 17 We were unaware that the USFS had changed its
position on this Currently, it is unclear as to what level of access they need to retain (e g can
the road entrance be gated9) We acknowledge that this issue needs to be resolved as soon as
possible
It is our hope that these remaining issues will be favorably resolved Again, we appreciate
NCDOT's cooperation in this important avoidance and minimization component of this project
If you have any questions regarding this letter, please contact Mr Gary Jordan at [phone]
(Ext 32)
Sincerely,
Pete Benjamin
Field Supervisor
cc William Wescott, USACE, Washington, NC
David Wainwright, NCDWQ, Raleigh, NC
Travis Wilson, NCWRC, Creedmoor, NC
Chris Milrtscher, USEPA, Raleigh, NC
Hervey McIver, TNC, Durham, NC
Karen Compton, USFS, Asheville, NC