Categorical Exclusion Form (NEPA).pdf

EFLHD NEPA Categorical Exclusion Form EFL-TM-ENV-03(05)

NP NER PMS BMS FY24(1)

Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division NEPA Categorical Exclusion Form

Project Number: NP NER PMS BMS FY24(1) Date: 3/27/2025

Project Name: Northeast Region Bridge and Pavement Preservation Construction Project

Location: National Park Service

• Fire Island National Seashore – Suffolk County, NY

• Home of Franklin D Roosevelt National Historic

Site – Dutchess County, NY

• Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park – Sullivan

County, NH

• Sagamore Hill National Historic Site – Nassau

County, NY

• Saratoga National Historical Park – Saratoga

County, NY

• Springfield Armory National Historic Site –

Hampden County, MA

• Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site –

Dutchess County, NY

CE Category 23 CFR 771.117(c)(22): Projects, as defined in 23 U.S.C. 101, that would take place entirely within the existing operational right-of-way [...]

See 23 CFR 771.117 for full description of CE categories, including additional requirements when applying (c)26-28.

Project Description The Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division (EFLHD) of the Federal Highway Administration, in cooperation with the National Park Service (NPS), is proposing to conduct cyclic maintenance of roadways, parking areas, and bridges in multiple National Historic Parks, Sites, and Seashores within the NPS Northeast Region (NER).

A summary of the bridge and pavement preservation maintenance at each site and the proposed repairs is provided below.

• Fire Island National Seashore o Lighthouse Road west entrance; Floyd Estate entrance, exit, and parking lot areas o All work is restricted to the preservation of roadway parking, paving, and in-kind and in-place replacement and repair. Included in all treatments will be pavement patching. There will be no pavement milling. Some asphalt will be pulled up in patching. There are no drainage work or improvements included in this project. No accessibility modifications will be done. No new https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=842bb87055f89f1d0ff242f2b9e20ff7&mc=true&node=pt23.1.771&rgn=div5#se23.1.771_1117

EFLHD NEPA Categorical Exclusion Form EFL-TM-ENV-03(05) lighting will be installed. The road sizes will remain unchanged. Shoulder reconditioning is also proposed, but this will just be adding material to the existing earth to match the shoulder to the existing asphalt. 13 wood bollard posts are proposed to be replaced in-place and in-kind, while the signage is planned to be replaced on existing posts.

• Home of Franklin D Roosevelt National Historic Site o Route 11 (Wallace Center Entrance / Exit Road); Route 407 (Service Drive Loop in front of

Bellefield); Route 900; Route 903AB; Route 906 (Farm Lane West Parking) o Routes will receive asphalt patching, crack cleaning and sealing, thin lift asphalt overlay, pavement markings. All locations are existing paved surfaces. Treatment is limited to crack cleaning and sealing, Ultra-thin overlay (3/4”), and pavement patching and striping where required.

• Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park o Remove and replace pavement markings (Type A) in the visitor parking lot o Chip seal (Type 2C) and clean and seal crack in the Visitor Center Drive parking lot

• Sagamore Hill National Historic Site o All paved roads and parking lots within Sagamore Hill National Historic Site; staging area southeast of the Theodore Roosevelt House; small area adjacent to the southwest portion of the main parking lot where accessible parking signs will be installed.

o All repair and replacement work will be completed in kind. The team conducting the work will coordinate with Federal Highways to ensure that inlet filter bags are installed in the culvert and that either a silt fence or a compost sock barrier is placed between the road and Hog Pond.

Maintenance/repair work to include pavement sealing, including crack sealing, crack rehabilitation, and fog sealing; overlay using Ultra-thin overlay (3/4”) or overlay of 1.5”; and mill and overlay, including pavement milling and overlay between 1.5”-3”.

• Saratoga National Historical Park o Route 100 (Roosevelt Road); Route 401 (Headquarters Loop Road); Route 916 (Saratoga

Monument parking lot); Route 918Z (Support Facility Parking #3); Kroma Kill Bridge #2 (Structure No. 1910-002P); Kroma Kill Bridge #3 (1910-003P) o Bridge concrete spalling, pavement cracks, potholes; and extend the useful service life of these key assets. Maintenance and repair work will include T1 Pavement sealing - asphalt crack sealing / rehabilitation and minor bridge repairs (cleaning and resealing joints and concrete repairs).

Included in all treatments will be pavement patching. There will be no pavement milling. Some asphalt will be pulled up in patching. There are no drainage work or improvements included in this project. No accessibility modifications will be done. No new lighting will be installed. The road sizes will remain unchanged. No new signage or replacement signage is included in this project.

• Springfield Armory National Historic Site o Paved surfaces including roadway in front of building 13 and the parking lot o Work includes joint sealing and curb repair; the project does not include ground disturbance.

Work will include pavement sealing, crack sealing, crack rehabilitation, and fog sealing. There will be overlay work, including Ultra-thin overlay (3/4”) and 1.5” overlay. Included in all treatments is drainage piping, culvert, and inlet clearing; ditch clearing; full depth patching; join sealing (sidewalks and curbs); curb repair/spot replacement; stabilized soil; and pavement striping and signage.

• Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site o Route 901 (Overlook Parking Lot); Route 11(Bard Rock Road); Route 401 (Mansion Loop);

Vanderbilt Rustic Bridge

EFLHD NEPA Categorical Exclusion Form EFL-TM-ENV-03(05) o Road repair work is limited to crack cleaning and sealing and includes pavement markings where required.

o Bridge work includes replacing missing stones and repointing the masonry mortar joints on the parapets as necessary. It also includes trimming trees near the bridge and repair or erosion and undermining on the northwest wingwall.

Environmental Commitments and Mitigation Measures

• All work is restricted to the pre-approved construction area. No impacts to areas outside of the construction area shall occur.

• To reduce the chance that harmful, non-native plants or organisms will be transported from off-park locations to the work site, the contractor, prior to entering the Park, shall clean all soils, roots, seeds, and other sources of plant parts and pathogens from any equipment used for the application of grasses and all heavy equipment, such as dump trucks, front end loader, and graders, which have previously been operating off the park.

• In the event of the discovery of unanticipated cultural resources, work will halt and the archeologist will be contacted. Work will not resume until archeologist gives approval to resume.

• Wastewater from project activities and water removed from within the work area shall be routed to an area landward of the ordinary high-water line to allow for removal of fine sediment and other contaminants prior to being discharged to the stream.

• In circumstances when it is deemed necessary to conduct activities near sites known to support threatened or endangered species, such work will be performed in a way (specified by the T&E Biologist) to minimize impacts to the listed species (e.g., working quietly on-site, and minimizing time in or near habitats en route to their work sites).

• Care will be taken not to disturb any wildlife species (reptiles, migratory birds, raptors, or bats) found nesting, hibernating, estivating, or otherwise living in, or immediately nearby, worksites.

Summary of Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act Compliance The National Park Service’s February 3, 2025 Programmatic Compliance for Routine Maintenance of Non-Historic Structures, Facilities, Utilities, Grounds and Trails Categorical Exclusion identified no significant impacts on species listed or proposed to be listed on the List of Endangered or Threatened Species, or have significant impacts on designated Critical Habitat for these species

Summary of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act Compliance The National Park Service Cultural Resource experts at each site determined the proposed federal undertaking would have no adverse effect to historic properties. No historic

EFLHD NEPA Categorical Exclusion Form EFL-TM-ENV-03(05) properties are in the vicinity of the proposed undertaking’s area of potential effects in Fire Island National Seashore.

Additional Agency Coordination and Compliance The FHWA Eastern Federal Lands concurs with the National Park Service Categorical Exclusion documentation dated February 3, 2025.

EFLHD NEPA Categorical Exclusion Form EFL-TM-ENV-03(05)

Categorical Exclusion Recommendation:

On the basis of the environmental impact information in the statutory compliance file, with which I am familiar, I believe the project should be categorically excluded from further NEPA analysis.

Kelly Stern Environmental Protection Specialist

Federal Highway Administration

Date

Categorical Exclusion Determination:

On the basis of the environmental impact information in the statutory compliance file, with which I am familiar, I am categorically excluding the described project from further NEPA analysis. The project meets the 23 CFR 771.117(a) definition of a categorical exclusion. No unusual circumstances per 23 CFR 771.117(b) apply.

Kevin S. Rose Environmental Team Leader

Federal Highway Administration

Date

EFLHD NEPA Categorical Exclusion Form EFL-TM-ENV-03(05)

Appendix A: Environmental Checklist

Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act:

• Are Federally-listed species potentially present in the study area? ☐Yes, see Notesi ☒No If Yes, effects determination:

☐No Effect ☐May Affect, Not Likely to Adversely Affect ☐May Affect, Likely to Adversely Affect

Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act:

• Are historic properties known to be present in the study area? ☒Yes ☒No

If Yes, will they be impacted by the project? ☒Yes ☐No

• Will previously undisturbed ground be disturbed?

☐Yes ☒No

• Effects determination:

☐No Historic Properties Affected ☒No Adverse Effect ☐Adverse Effect, MOA Executed

• Was tribal consultation completed? ☐Yes ☒No

Water and Wetlands:

• Section 404 of the Clean Water Act

Are impacts to Waters of the US anticipated? ☐Yes ☒No If Yes, approval anticipated:

☐Nationwide Permit (NWP) ☐Regional General Permit ☐Individual Permit

• Section 401 of the Clean Water Act ☒NWP certified by State ☐Individual Certification

• Section 402 of the Clean Water Act (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) Will the land disturbance threshold likely be exceeded to require a permit and SWPPP?

☐Yes ☒ No

• Is post-construction stormwater management review/approval anticipated? ☐Yes ☒No

• ☒Project is consistent with Executive Order 11990, Protection of Wetlands

Floodplains:

• Is the project in a FEMA floodplain?

☒Yes ☒No ☐ Floodplain not mapped

• ☒ Project is consistent with Executive Order 11988, Floodplain Management

Section 4(f) of the USDOT Act:

• Does the project meet the Section 4(f) exemption for Federal lands transportation facilities under

Section 1119(c)(2) of MAP-21, 23 U.S.C. 138(a)? ☒Yes ☐No

• Is there a use of a Section 4(f) property in the study area? ☐Yes ☒No

If Yes, De Minimis Finding:☐ Programmatic:☐ Individual 4(f): ☐

EFLHD NEPA Categorical Exclusion Form EFL-TM-ENV-03(05)

Section 6(f) of the Land and Water Conservation Fund:

• Was the property purchased with grant funds from the Land and Water Conservation Fund?

☐Yes ☒No

• If Yes, was documentation of approval from National Park Service Director received for the conversion or replacement of 6(f) property? ☐Yes ☐No Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972:

• Is the project in a Coastal Zone? ☒Yes ☒No

• If yes, will a Federal Consistency Review be completed? ☒Yes ☒No

Right of Way:

• Is the project completely within the transportation facility’s right-of-way? ☒Yes ☐No

• If no, will the project require relocations or easements? ☐Yes ☐No

Hazardous Waste and Materials:

• Are hazardous materials or contamination exceeding regulatory thresholds (as set by U.S. EPA, County Environmental Health, etc.) present? ☐Yes ☒No

• If Yes, is the nature and extent of the hazardous materials or contamination fully known? ☐Yes ☐No, plan for securing information provided in Notes Section 7(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act:

• Are there Wild and Scenic Rivers? ☐Yes ☒No ☐Eligible If Yes, has review by the river-administering agency been completed? ☐Yes ☐No

Clean Air Act:

• Is the project in a non-attainment area? ☐Yes ☒No

If Yes, is the project on the Transportation Improvement Program(TIP)/State Implementation Plan(SIP)? ☐ Yes ☐No

Highway Traffic and Construction Noise Regulations:

• ☐ The proposed project is a Type I project (highway on a new location, substantial horizontal or vertical alteration, new through or auxiliary lanes). Noise analysis is required.

• ☐ The proposed project is a Type II project (retrofit for noise abatement).

• ☒ The proposed project is a Type III project (noise analysis not required).

• ☐ Does not apply.

Farmland Protection Policy Act for Highway Projects:

• Does the project displace, require acquisition of, or require an easement from farmland?

☐Yes ☒No Does the project affect any other resources not listed above? Explain below and list anticipated permits:

EFLHD NEPA Categorical Exclusion Form EFL-TM-ENV-03(05) i Federally-listed species per U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s IPaC: