Report_1_NEPA.pdf

Memo to File - Repair, Mill and Resurface Main Park Road, Flamingo Campgrounds to Service Station, and Bridge Prevenative Maintenance - PEPC ID: 63538

National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

Everglades National Park Date: 05/16/2016

Memo To File

A. Project Information

Park Name: Everglades National Park PEPC Project Number: 63538 Project Title: Repair, Mill and Resurface Main Park Road, Flamingo Campgrounds to Service Station, and Bridge Prevenative Maintenance Project Location:

County, State: Monroe & Miami-Dade Counties, Florida

Project Leader: Mike Savage

B. Description of the Current Action (Project Description)

A Categorical Exclusion (L7615-FY08-052) was approved for PEPC 23786, Roadway and Parking Area Improvements, on March 4, 2010. That Catex was intended to approve repaving work along the entire length of the Main Park Road from Flamingo to the Park boundary near the Coe Visitor Center (in addition to other paving work, elsewhere, and repairs to the Flamingo Buttonwood Canal Bridge). The project inadvertently described that work would begin at the Flamingo Service Station, and proceed northward to the Park boundary - but should have stated it would begin at the Flamingo A Loop Campground entrance and proceed northward. This PEPC project is therefore intended to add the repaving of the Main Park Road between the Flamingo A Loop Campground entrance and the Flamingo Service Station.

Other work that is being added to this project includes preventative maintenance efforts needed to the two Taylor Slough Bridges near the Main Park Entrance Station. That work involves cleaning and sealing of road surface cracks; cleaning, sealing road surface bridge deck joints; sealing concrete road surface deck surfaces; and repairing small areas of spalled and deteriorated concrete.

Work that will also be included in the project, but is already approved by PEPC 23886 Catex dated 3/4/2010, is additional paving along the Main Park Road north of Mahogany Hammock, for a distance that depends on available funding at the time of work. Similar preventative maintenance efforts will also be made to the Buttonwood Canal Bridge covered by that same Catex.

Paving work is formulated for $2,534,182.00 (FLHP funding), and bridge maintenance work will be funded with SER-provided funds.

Paving work along the Main Park Road is described as follows: The work includes milling the existing asphalt pavement (½-inch) and overlaying with new 2-inch asphalt. Milling and resurfacing of existing pulloffs shall also be performed. The shoulder within 1-3 ft of the edge of asphalt will be bladed to ensure positive drainage of the road surface. New road striping and reflectors will be installed.

Memo to File - Repair, Mill and Resurface Main Park Road, Flamingo Campgrounds to Service Station, and

This project continues paving work originally intended to be accomplished in PMIS 84811. The last funded phase of PMIS 84811 was completed in FY13, and there was insufficient funds to pave further at that time. This new project includes the repair, milling and resurfacing of asphalt on the Main Park Road from the Flamingo campgrounds to the Service Station. Predesign and Supplemental Services for this project were completed previously. Paving work north of Mahogany Hammock, and originally intended to be accomplished as part of PMIS 84811, is described in PMIS 205646.

Pavement will be removed and installed using heavy equipment. An FDEP permit exemption and a USACE Nationwide Permit will be sought by the FHWA. No vegetation, aside from incidental sod within 1-3 ft of the road shoulder will be removed. No modification to the existing geometry of the parking areas is planned. The work would be done within the existing roadway prism.

A contractor will perform this work. The expected size of contractor crews may be as large as 20 persons.

Preventive maintenance to bridges will be scheduled to occur when water levels in the park are expected to be at their lowest (March - May), and paving work will be scheduled to occur during the visitor off-season (March - November).

C. Description of Previous Compliance Documentation

Decision Document Name: Roadway and Parking Area Improvements Decision Document PEPC ID: 23786 Decision Document Approval Date: Mar 4, 2010

All applicable mitigations and stipulations from the Roadway and Parking Area Improvements project will be carried over to this project. In addition:

Mitigation(s):

• Update: Replace park biologist Skip Snow with Lori Oberhofer (Lori_Oberhofer@nps.gov) (305-242-7889)

• Update: Change both wood stork and Cape Sable seaside sparrow nesting seasons to January 1 - August 1.

Work on Main Park Road between Paurotis Pond and Sisal Pond will not be permitted during this time.

Stipulation(s):

1.) According to the 2008 National Park Service Programmatic Agreement Section VI, If previously unidentified cultural resources are discovered during project implementation all work in that area must stop and the Superintendent, Park Archaeologist or Chief of Cultural Resources must be notified immediately. If items protected by the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) are discovered during project implementation all activity must cease in the area of discovery and immediate notice made to the Superintendent, as well as the appropriate federally recognized Indian Tribes / Organizations and State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO).

2.) Repaving of road surfaces shall remain within the existing road prism and not modify the existing geometry of the parking areas.

Adherence to all project mitigations and stipulations is assigned to Mike Savage.

IDT Team Members:

Memo to File - Repair, Mill and Resurface Main Park Road, Flamingo Campgrounds to Service Station, and

Tylan Dean - Biological Resources Branch Chief Penelope Del Bene - NHPA Specialist Abby Sadle - NEPA Specialist Jimi Sadle - Wetlands/Vegetation Mike Savage - Project Leader

D. Notes

We have reviewed the previous compliance package, including the section 7 determinations and USFWS concurrence. The project is still consistent with these determinations. However, since 2010, several new species listings and critical habitat designations have been announced. We have reviewed the project against the newly listed species, and have made determinations that the proposed project has no effect on the endangered Cape Sable Thoroughwort and its critical habitat, the proposed threatened Blodgett's silverbush the Florida leafwing butterfly and its designated critical habitat, the Bartram's hairstreak butterfly and its designated critical habitat, and the Florida bonneted bat. As a result of these determinations, no further coordination with USFWS is required.

E. Conclusion

I certify that the existing NPS NEPA document has been reviewed and there are no substantive differences between the current proposal and its associated environmental impacts and the proposal and impacts as described in the existing NEPA document and associated decision document.

Superintendent:

Date:

Pedro M. Ramos