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Draft Biological Assessment Report Design Update Technical Memorandum I-75 (SR 93) at SR 884 (Colonial Blvd) Interchange Lee County, Florida

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Draft Biological Assessment Report Design Update Technical Memorandum I-75 (SR 93) at SR 884 (Colonial Blvd) Interchange Lee County, Florida Draft Biological Assessment Report Design Update Technical Memorandum I-75 (SR 93) at SR 884 (Colonial Blvd) Interchange Lee County, Florida Financial Project ID No. 413065-1-32-01 Prepared for: Florida Department of Transportation District One P.O. Box 1249 Bartow, Florida 33830-1249 May 2017 Draft Biological Assessment Report Design Update Technical Memorandum I-75 (SR 93) at SR 884 (Colonial Blvd) Interchange Lee County, Florida Financial Project ID No. 413065-1-32-01 Prepared for: Florida Department of Transportation District One P.O. Box 1249 Bartow, Florida 33830-1249 Prepared by: American Consulting Professionals, LLC 2818 Cypress Ridge Boulevard, Suite 200 Wesley Chapel, Florida 33544-6302 May 2017 Table of Contents SECTION 1 Project Description .................................................................................................................. 1 SECTION 2 Land Use .................................................................................................................................. 1 SECTION 3 Wildlife and Habitat ................................................................................................................. 3 3.1 PD&E Species Effect Determinations ............................................................................................ 3 3.2 Listing Status Changes ................................................................................................................... 3 3.3 Federal-Listed Species ................................................................................................................... 4 3.3.1 Wood Stork (Mycteria americana) ..................................................................................... 4 3.3.2 Eastern Indigo Snake (Drymarchon couperi) ...................................................................... 4 3.3.3 American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) and American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) ................................................................................................................................ 4 3.3.4 Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) .................................................................... 4 3.3.5 Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Picoides borealis) .................................................................. 5 3.3.6 Florida Panther (Puma concolor coryi) ............................................................................... 5 3.3.7 Florida Manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) .............................................................. 5 3.3.8 Gulf Sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi) .................................................................... 5 3.3.9 Audubon’s Crested Caracara (Polyborus plancus audubonii) ............................................. 6 3.3.10 Everglade Snail Kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus) ...................................................... 6 3.3.11 Florida Bonneted Bat (Eumops floridanus) ......................................................................... 6 3.4 Non-Listed, Federal-Protected Species ......................................................................................... 6 3.4.1 Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) ................................................................................ 6 3.4.2 Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) ................................................................................................. 6 3.5 State-Listed Species ...................................................................................................................... 8 3.5.1 Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) ........................................................................... 8 3.5.2 Gopher Frog (Rana capito) ................................................................................................. 8 3.5.3 Florida Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis pratensis) ............................................................ 8 3.5.4 Limpkin (Aramus guarauna) ............................................................................................... 8 3.5.5 Wetland Dependent Birds .................................................................................................. 8 3.5.6 Florida Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia floridana) ....................................................... 9 3.5.7 Southeastern American Kestrel (Falco sparverius paulus) ................................................. 9 3.5.8 Florida Black Bear (Ursus americanus floridanus) .............................................................. 9 3.5.9 Big Cypress Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger avicennia) and Sherman’s Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger shermani) ................................................................................................................... 9 3.5.10 Sherman’s Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina shermani) ........................................................... 10 3.6 Federal and State-Listed Plants................................................................................................... 10 3.7 Conclusion and Commitments .................................................................................................... 10 List of Figures Figure 1 Project Location Map .......................................................................................................... 2 Figure 2 Protected Species Map ....................................................................................................... 7 List of Tables Table 1 Potential Species within the Project Area/Corridor ......................................................... 12 I-75 at Colonial Boulevard Design i Biological Assessment Report Design Update FPID No. 413065-1-32-01 Technical Memorandum SECTION 1 PROJECT DESCRIPTION A Project Development and Environment (PD&E) study was completed for Interstate 75 (I-75) from south of Bonita Beach Road to north of State Road (SR) 78, in Lee County, FL, a distance of approximately 27.9 miles. The Type 2 Categorical Exclusion for this project was approved in December 2002 by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The I-75/Colonial Boulevard (SR 884) interchange was part of the approved PD&E. This design update focuses on improvements to the I-75/Colonial Boulevard interchange as well as improvements along Colonial Boulevard. This section of Colonial Boulevard is an urban principal arterial in the City of Fort Myers in Lee County. This project begins from west of Ortiz Ave to east of Dynasty Drive including ramp improvements on I-75. A project location map is provided below as Figure 1. The project is anticipated to enhance overall safety, capacity, and emergency evacuation within the County. In addition, the project will help serve travel demands created by anticipated countywide population and employment growth. The planned improvements will enhance access to I-75, as the I-75 interchange is in the center of this project. Colonial Boulevard is state maintained from US 41/SR 45 in the west to Dynasty Drive in the east, serving as a main connection of the west and east sections of Lee County. Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) volumes on Colonial Boulevard for the opening year, 2020, are projected to be 88,000 while the design year, 2042 is anticipated to be 99,800. The purpose of this report is to identify wildlife and habitat impacts from the original Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study and compare to impacts proposed from the current design. This includes habitat assessment, potential for Federal- and State-listed species, agency coordination, and changes in listing status. The prior PD&E study evaluated approximatively 27 miles of roadway. This current project evaluates approximately 2 miles, as a result the impacts to the wetlands and species will be substantially less in the current evaluation. SECTION 2 LAND USE The majority of the land use within the project limits is classified by the Florida Land Use Cover and Forms Classification System (FLUCCS) as commercial and services (FLUCCS 1400). The majority of the project will be included within the existing right of way (ROW), with the exception of storm water management facilities which will require additional ROW along the north side of Colonial Boulevard adjacent to Ortiz Boulevard. There are small areas of natural habitat that exist within the ROW that are either a continuation of habitats from off-site or the remainder of habitats that were previously developed adjacent to the interstate. I-75 at Colonial Boulevard Design 1 Biological Assessment Report Design Update FPID No. 413065-1-32-01 Technical Memorandum !"b$ Project Area !"b$ A³ !"b$ Dynasty Dr Ortiz Ave Ortiz Begin Project Forum Blvd A³ Colonial Blvd A³ End Project 6 6 Mile CypressPkwy !"b$ I-75 (SR 93) at Colonial Boulevard 0 250 500 Interchange Design Study Project Location Map Figure 1 FPID: 413065-1-32-01 Feet ± Lee County, FL SECTION 3 WILDLIFE AND HABITAT A Biological Assessment report was completed for the PD&E study in November 2002. The PD&E study limits were from South of Bonita Beach Road to North of S.R. 78 in Lee County. This addendum focuses on the I-75/Colonial Boulevard interchange and the associated limits along Colonial Boulevard from approximately ½ mile west of Ortiz Avenue to just east of Dynasty Drive. Field reviews were conducted for this project in April 2017. The species identified as part of the PD&E as well as additional species not discussed previously, and the effect determinations associated with this segment, are discussed below. 3.1 PD&E Species Effect Determinations The following
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