TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: The Jacksonville District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) has received an application for a Department of the Army permit pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. §1344) as described below:
APPLICANT: Lakeland Linder Regional Airport
c/o Eugene B. Conrad III, Director
3900 Don Emerson Drive, Suite 210
Lakeland, Florida 33811
WATERWAY AND LOCATION: The project would affect waters of the United States associated with Morgan Creek. The project site is located at the Lakeland Linder Regional Airport, south of Drane Field Road, west of Kidron Road, in Section 05, Township 29 South, Range 23 East, Lakeland, Polk County, Florida.
Directions to the site are as follows: From I-4 E, take exit 27 for FL-570 E (Polk Parkway) toward Lakeland/Winter Haven. Continue onto FL-570 E. Take exit 3 to merge onto FL-572 E/Airport Rd. Turn right onto Drane Field Rd. Turn left onto Kidron Rd. The project is located on the west side of Kidron Road, north of the runways.
APPROXIMATE CENTRAL COORDINATES:
Latitude: 27.993358°
Longitude: -82.033256°
PROJECT PURPOSE:
Basic: Large aircraft and air cargo infrastructure.
Overall: Provide infrastructure to meet the demand for additional aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) and air cargo facilities at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport that can accommodate large aircraft.
EXISTING CONDITIONS: The project site contains freshwater aquatic resources including ditches, stormwater features, mixed wetland hardwoods (FLUCCS 6170), and mixed forested wetlands (FLUCCS 6300). The site is surrounded by existing airport infrastructure and other municipal facilities.
PROPOSED WORK: The applicant seeks authorization to fill 4.66 acres of wetlands and 3.29 acres of ditches for the construction of a new cargo and aircraft maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) complex (referred to as the intermodal center) on the northwest end of Runway 9-27 at the Lakeland Linder Regional Airport.
AVOIDANCE AND MINIMIZATION INFORMATION – The applicant has provided the following statement in support of efforts to avoid and/or minimize impacts to the aquatic environment:
“Design modifications were incorporated during the development of the EA in order to avoid higher quality wetlands to the north (WL 1) and west (WL 6). Wetland impacts for this Project have been reduced to impact historically altered wetland features that are considered successional systems of low quality.”
COMPENSATORY MITIGATION – The applicant has offered the following compensatory mitigation plan to offset unavoidable functional loss to the aquatic environment:
The applicant intends to perform on-site permittee-responsible compensatory mitigation consisting of forested wetland creation.
CULTURAL RESOURCES:
In January, 2018, Archaeological Consultants, Inc. (ACI) conducted a cultural resource assessment survey in response to a Division of Historical Resources (DHR) survey request and requirements associated with compliance with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) permit application No. 746040. ACI conducted surface reconnaissance and subsurface testing and encountered no cultural resources within the area of potential effect (APE) during their investigations. ACI determined that the proposed project will have no effect on cultural resources listed, or eligible for listing in the NRHP, or otherwise of archaeological, historical, or architectural significance within the survey area. The DHR State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) provided a letter to the applicant dated March 01, 2018, stating that the SHPO concurs with the determinations and finds the submitted report complete and sufficient in accordance with Chapter 1A-46, Florida Administrative Code. Based on the information described above, the Corps has determined that the project will have no effect on cultural resources listed, or eligible for listing in the NRHP, or otherwise of archaeological, historical, or architectural significance within the survey area.
ENDANGERED SPECIES:
The FAA conducted an Environmental Assessment for the project in 2016, and coordinated with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) during this time. On April 12, 2016, the FWS provided concurrence with the FAA that the project is “not likely to adversely affect” listed species.
ESSENTIAL FISH HABITAT (EFH): This notice initiates consultation with the National Marine Fisheries Service on EFH as required by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act 1996. Our initial determination is that the proposed action would not have a substantial adverse impact on EFH or federally managed fisheries due to the project’s location in an inland freshwater system. Our final determination relative to project impacts and the need for mitigation measures is subject to review by and coordination with the National Marine Fisheries Service.
NOTE: This public notice is being issued based on information furnished by the applicant. This information has not been verified or evaluated to ensure compliance with laws and regulation governing the regulatory program. The jurisdictional status of the on-site aquatic resources has not been verified by Corps personnel, except for OSW 3 and OSW 4. The Corps determined these surface water features are non-jurisdictional in the jurisdictional determination dated October 26, 2017 (SAJ-2016-02888). In addition, existing stormwater treatment systems are non-jurisdictional features (OSW 10 and OSW 11).
AUTHORIZATION FROM OTHER AGENCIES: The project received Environmental Resource Permit No. 43002237.101 from the SWFWMD on March 30, 2018.
COMMENTS regarding the potential authorization of the work proposed should be submitted in writing to the attention of the District Engineer through the Tampa Permits Section, 10117 Princess Palm Avenue, Suite 120, Tampa, FL 33610 within 21 days from the date of this notice.
The decision whether to issue or deny this permit application will be based on the information received from this public notice and the evaluation of the probable impact to the associated wetlands. This is based on an analysis of the applicant's avoidance and minimization efforts for the project, as well as the compensatory mitigation proposed.
QUESTIONS concerning this application should be directed to the project manager, Jessica Cordwell, in writing at the Tampa Permits Section, 10117 Princess Palm Avenue, Suite 120 Tampa, Florida 33610, by telephone at (813)769-7067, by fax at (813)769-7061, or by electronic mail at Jessica.L.Cordwell@usace.army.mil.
IMPACT ON NATURAL RESOURCES: Coordination with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Marine Fisheries Services, and other Federal, State, and local agencies, environmental groups, and concerned citizens generally yields pertinent environmental information that is instrumental in determining the impact the proposed action will have on the natural resources of the area.
EVALUATION: The decision whether to issue a permit will be based on an evaluation of the probable impact including cumulative impacts of the proposed activity on the public interest. That decision will reflect the national concern for both protection and utilization of important resources. The benefits, which reasonably may be expected to accrue from the proposal, must be balanced against its reasonably foreseeable detriments. All factors which may be relevant to the proposal will be considered including cumulative impacts thereof; among these are conservation, economics, aesthetics, general environmental concerns, wetlands, historical properties, fish and wildlife values, flood hazards, floodplain values, land use, navigation, shoreline erosion and accretion, recreation, water supply and conservation, water quality, energy needs, safety, food, and fiber production, mineral needs, considerations of property ownership, and in general, the needs and welfare of the people. Evaluation of the impact of the activity on the public interest will also include application of the guidelines promulgated by the Administrator, EPA, under authority of Section 404(b) of the Clean Water Act or the criteria established under authority of Section 102(a) of the Marine Protection Research and Sanctuaries Act of 1972. A permit will be granted unless its issuance is found to be contrary to the public interest.
The US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) is soliciting comments from the public; Federal, State, and local agencies and officials; Indian Tribes; and other Interested parties in order to consider and evaluate the impacts of this proposed activity. Any comments received will be considered by the Corps to determine whether to issue, modify, condition, or deny a permit for this proposal. To make this determination, comments are used to assess impacts to endangered species, historic properties, water quality, general environmental effects, and the other public interest factors listed above. Comments are also used to determine the need for a public hearing and to determine the overall public interest of the proposed activity.
COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT CONSISTENCY: In Florida, the State approval constitutes compliance with the approved Coastal Zone Management Plan.
REQUEST FOR PUBLIC HEARING: Any person may request a public hearing. The request must be submitted in writing to the District Engineer within the designated comment period of the notice and must state the specific reasons for requesting the public hearing.