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Ecological Summary Report Ecological Summary Report 56.8-acre Ameratrail Property Section 14, Township 26 South, Range 31 East Osceola County, Florida Prepared for: Snow Construction, Inc. 1136 New York Avenue St Cloud, FL 34769 October 2018 Table of Contents 1.0 Property Location 1 2.0 Survey Methodology 1 3.0 Soils 1 4.0 Vegetative Communities 2 5.0 Listed Wildlife Species 3 5.1 Bald Eagle 3 5.2 Gopher Tortoise 3 5.3 Red Cockaded Woodpecker 3 5.4 Florida Scrub-Jay 3 5.5 Eastern Indigo Snake 3 6.0 Ecological Impact Analysis 4 7.0 Conclusion 4 List of Figures: Figure 1 – Location Map Figure 2 – Aerial Photograph Figure 3 – USDA Soils Map Figure 4 – FLUCFCS Map This report presents the results of an ecological impact analysis for the Ameratrail project. The purpose of this analysis is to document existing site conditions, and the extent of impacts to jurisdictional wetlands and surface waters, as well as state and federally-listed species and their habitats. This information is intended to support Environmental Resource Permitting through the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD). 1.0 PROPERTY LOCATION The property consists of approximately 56.8 acres and is located southeast of the intersection of Old Melbourne Highway and US Highway 192 within Section 14, Township 26 South, Range 31 East, in Osceola County. The property consists of Osceola County tax parcel 14-26-31-0000-0010-0000. A location map and an aerial photograph have been provided as Figures 1 and 2, respectively. 2.0 SURVEY METHODOLOGY Prior to visiting the site, Austin Environmental Consultants, Inc. (AEC) conducted a review of available soil information, National Wetlands Inventory GIS layers, South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) land use shapefiles, and available listed species locality records, including the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FFWCC) bald eagle nest database. Finally, a desktop review of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) shapefiles was conducted to determine whether the project site occurs within the Consultation Area of any federally-listed species. Following the desktop review, on April 11, 2018, a professional biologist from AEC conducted a comprehensive review of the subject property to investigate the presence of jurisdictional wetlands as well as state and federally-listed species. Pedestrian transects were established within all onsite habitats. The presence of wildlife was determined by direct observation or signs of their presence (burrows, tracks, etc.). In addition, onsite vegetation and soil characteristics were reviewed in order to determine the boundaries of any onsite wetlands and surface waters. The boundaries between onsite wetlands and uplands were delineated with vinyl flagging and locations collected with a handheld GPS unit. Finally, during the field reviews, sufficient information was collected to complete preliminary functional assessments of the onsite wetland utilizing the Uniform Mitigation Assessment Method (UMAM). 3.0 SOILS The onsite soil types were classified according to the Soil Survey for Osceola County, Florida (USDA, 1976) and available USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) GIS layers. The soil survey identifies three onsite soil types; see Figure 3. The onsite soil types are summarized in the following Table 1. Table 1. Onsite Soil Types Hydric ID# Soil Name Drainage Class Rating 16 Immokalee fine sand Poorly drained No 22 Myakka fine sand Poorly drained No 43 St. Lucie fine sand, 0-5% slopes Excessively drained No 1 4.0 VEGETATIVE COMMUNITIES The onsite land uses and vegetative community types were classified according to the Florida Land Use, Cover and Forms Classification System (FLUCFCS); see Figure 4. Two distinct upland plant communities, one wetland, one upland, and a utility land use occur onsite. 411 – Pine Flatwoods: Approximately 5.28 acres of the property consists of this upland forest community. This area, which is located at the southern end of the property, contains a canopy of mature slash pine (Pinus elliottii). The sub-canopy contains sparse dahoon holly (Ilex cassine), sweet bay (Magnolia virginiana), and red bay (Persea borbonia). Shrub and groundcover species include saw palmetto (Serenoa repens), gallberry (Ilex glabra), fox grape (Vitis rotundifolia), greenbriar (Smilax spp.), and bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum). 421 – Xeric Oak: The majority of the property (approximately 46.36 acres) consist of a xeric oak plant community. The area contains sparse sand pine (Pinus clausa), with an extremely dense, low-canopy of typical scrub species. Dominant trees include sand live oak (Quercus geminata), Chapman oak (Quercus chapmanii), myrtle oak (Quercus myrtifolia), rusty fetterbush (Lyonia ferruginea), wild olive (Cordia boissieri), and red bay. Due to long-term fire suppression, the xeric oak community contains a dense shrub layer dominated by saw palmetto. Other species present include deer moss (Cladonia spp.), prickly pear cactus (Opuntia humifusa), Florida rosemary (Ceratiola ericoides), and milk pea (Galactia elliottii). 625 – Hydric Pine Flatwoods: A small, 0.43-acre isolated wetland is located within the southern portions of the property, partially within an existing gas easement. This wetland contains scattered immature slash pines, with a groundcover of redroot (Lachnanthes caroliniana), Virginia chain fern (Woodwardia virginica), soft rush (Juncus effusus), hatpins (Eriocaulon spp.), bog bachelor button (Lachnocaulon spp.), dog fennel (Eupatorium capillifolium), longleaf violet (Viola lanceolata), chalky bluestem (Andropogon capillipes), and fox grape. 817 – Gas Pipeline: A gas pipeline traverses the property from Old Melbourne Highway to the southern property boundary. This easement comprises approximately 4.72 acres of the onsite area. Much of this linear easement consists of open sand. Mowed groundcover species include Bahia grass (Paspalum notatum), flat sedge (Cyperus spp.), milk pea, and bushy bluestem (Andropogon virginicus). 5.0 LISTED WILDLIFE SPECIES The following section provides a summary of listed species that were either documented onsite during the April 2018 field review, or are reasonably likely to utilize habitats occurring within the subject property. The discussion also addresses species whose U.S. Fish and Wildlife Consultation Areas (CA) encompass the study area. 5.1 Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus): The bald eagle is no longer listed under the Endangered Species Act, however, it is still afforded protection by the USFWS under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. A review of the FWC bald eagle nest database was conducted to determine if there are any known bald eagle nests that could affect development of the property. The database review did not 2 identify any known bald eagle nests on or in the immediate vicinity of the subject property. All clearly visible, mature pine trees on and adjacent to the property were visually surveyed for bald eagle nests. No bald eagles or nests were encountered during the field review. 5.2 Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus): The gopher tortoise is listed as threatened by the State of Florida, and is a candidate for listing under the federal Endangered Species Act. This widely distributed species utilizes numerous upland habitat types, both native and altered. Preliminary surveys of the subject property identified four (4) potentially occupied tortoise burrows, all along the edge of the utility easement. No tortoise burrows were observed within the dense xeric oak or pine flatwoods, although these areas are considered suitable habitat. The density of vegetation within these areas precludes the growth of substantial groundcover forage, reducing the likelihood that a substantial population of tortoises would occur. Any ground disturbance that could result in impacts to gopher tortoise burrows will require a permit from the FWC. The permit would authorize the capture and offsite relocation of any resident tortoise(s). 5.3 Red Cockaded Woodpecker (Picoides borealis): The USFWS CA for this federally-listed, endangered species encompasses the entire subject property. This species of woodpecker constructs nest cavities within living, old-growth pine. Although they prefer longleaf pine, nest cavities have been documented in other pine species. Although the onsite pine flatwoods contains a number of mature slash pines, no woodpeckers or woodpecker cavities were observed. The species has not been documented within ten (10) miles of the property. Due to the observed condition and small size of available habitat for this species onsite, the likelihood of occurrence is considered low. 5.4 Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens): The subject property falls within the CA for this federally-listed, threatened species. The species is native to Florida’s xeric scrub communities, although it is known to utilize altered habitats including citrus groves and even residential areas. The USFWS considers the presence of scrub oaks to be the key indicator of suitable habitat. Based on available USFWS and FWC data, the closest documented occurrence of this species is approximately 7 miles southwest of the property. On the morning of the April 11, 2018 site review, AEC completed an informal, one-day survey using an abbreviated USFWS methodology. Call stations were established around and within the onsite xeric oak plant community. Scrub-jay calls (obtained from the Cornell Lab or Ornithology’s Macaulay Library) were broadcast for a minimum of one minute in each cardinal
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