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: Scott Bitterman
Okaloosa County Engineer
1759 S. Ferdon Blvd
Crestview, FL 32536
WATERWAY AND LOCATION: The project would affect waters of the United States associated with Williams Branch. The project is located along 0.49 miles of P.J. Adams Parkway from west of Wildhorse Drive to east of Crab Apple Drive, beginning approximately 1.5 miles west of SR 85, Crestview, Okaloosa County, Florida.
Directions to the site are as follows: The site can be accessed by taking SR 85 south from 1-10 at Crestview. Take a right onto P.J. Adams Parkway 0.94 miles south of 1-10. The project begins approximately 1.5 miles west of SR 85.
APPROXIMATE CENTRAL COORDINATES: Latitude 30.7119°
Longitude -86.5989°
PROJECT PURPOSE:
Basic: Transportation improvements.
Overall: To increase capacity to accommodate existing and future traffic volumes within the PJ Adams Parkway corridor.
EXISTING CONDITIONS: The wetland systems proposed for impacts consist of existing ditches and the forested areas immediately adjacent to them. These palustrine forested systems are vegetated with black titi (Cliftonia monophylla), slash pine (Pinus elliottii), sweetbay magnolia (Magnolia virginiana), fetterbush (Lyonia lucida) bitter gallberry (Ilex glabra), wax myrtle (Morella cerifera) and various ferns. The ditches have scattered herbaceous vegetation including broomsedges (Andropogon spp.) and redroot (Lachnanthes caroliniana). The area surrounding the project area consists of platted residential lots with mixed forested/shrub wetlands and uplands surrounding.
PROPOSED WORK: The applicant seeks authorization to discharge fill material into 0.837-acre of waters of the United States in order to widen this section of PJ Adams Parkway from the existing two-lane facility to a four-lane facility with a new stormwater management system. This 2,586-feet (0.49-miles) extension of the recently permitted P.J. Adams Parkway widening project would tie into a new I-10 interchange on the west end of the project that would be an FDOT project.
The applicant references this work as Phase IV of V of the proposed PJ Adams Parkway expansion. Phases I-III were authorized by the Corps under this same file number on July 3, 2019.
AVOIDANCE AND MINIMIZATION INFORMATION – The applicant has provided the following information in support of efforts to avoid and/or minimize impacts to the aquatic environment:
Avoidance and minimization of wetland impacts were considered in the selection of the preferred alternative, which was to follow the existing alignment of P.J. Adams Parkway. Because complete avoidance was not possible, minimization was therefore pursued. Wetland impacts were minimized by utilizing the minimal width roadway typical design that met the safety and traffic requirements. Stormwater ponds were located strategically to maximize collection of water while avoiding wetland impacts. In addition, the roadway widening was shifted to the south to avoid impacts to the existing Rolling Ridge Subdivision Conservation Easement on the north side of P.J. Adams Parkway within the limits of Phase IV.
COMPENSATORY MITIGATION – The applicant has offered the following compensatory mitigation plan to offset unavoidable functional loss to the aquatic environment:
To compensate for the impacts to the water of the United States, Okaloosa County will complete a mitigation plan that consists of the preservation of 48.04 acres of wetlands and 0.44 acres of uplands through a conservation easement over a parcel owned by Okaloosa County directly north of P.J. Adams Parkway that includes portions of Juniper Creek and associated wetlands.
CULTURAL RESOURCES:
The Corps is not aware of any known historic properties within the permit area. By copy of this public notice, the Corps is providing information for review. Our final determination relative to historic resource impacts is subject to review by and coordination with the State Historic Preservation Officer and those federally recognized tribes with concerns in Florida and the Permit Area.
ENDANGERED SPECIES:
The Corps has determined the proposal may affect, but is not likely to adversely affect the eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon couperi). The Corps has determined the proposal would have no effect on any other listed threatened or endangered species or designated critical habitat.
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. The proposal would impact approximately 0.837-acre of ditches and forested wetlands hydrologically connected to tidal waters utilized by various life stages of shrimp, reef fish, red drum, and coastal migratory/pelagic fish. Our initial determination is that the proposed action would not have a substantial adverse impact on EFH or Federally-managed fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico. 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 line has not been verified by the Corps.
AUTHORIZATION FROM OTHER AGENCIES: Water Quality Certification may be required from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and/or one of the state Water Management Districts.
COMMENTS regarding the potential authorization of the work proposed should be submitted in writing to the attention of the District Engineer through the Pensacola Permits Section, 41 N. Jefferson Street, Pensacola, FL 32502 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, Ed Sarfert, in writing at the Pensacola Permits Section, 41 N. Jefferson Street, Pensacola, FL 32502; by electronic mail at edward.p.sarfert@usace.army.mil; by facsimile transmission at (850)433-8160; or, by telephone at (850)439-9533.
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, esthetics, 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. In Puerto Rico, a Coastal Zone Management Consistency Concurrence is required from the Puerto Rico Planning Board. In the Virgin Islands, the Department of Planning and Natural Resources permit constitutes compliance with the 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.