Delegated Action of the Executive Director

PROJECT NCPC FILE NUMBER and 7565 Management Retrofit National Arboretum NCPC MAP FILE NUMBER Washington, District of Columbia 43.20(03.43)43929

SUBMITTED BY ACTION TAKEN United States Department of Agriculture Preliminary and final approval of Agricultural Research Service site development plans

REVIEW AUTHORITY Approval per 40 U.S.C. § 8722(b)(1) and (d)

The U.S. National Arboretum (Arboretum) and the District Department of the Environment are collaborating on two related stream and watershed restoration projects located at the Arboretum property in Washington, D.C. The Arboretum is a 446‐acre research and education facility located in the Northeast quadrant of the District. The property is owned and operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.

The first project is the restoration of Springhouse Run, an urbanized of Hickey Run, which flows through the Arboretum property. The second project is a retrofit of a portion of the Arboretum’s R Street parking lot with bioretention cells. The two projects are designed to improve stormwater runoff management within the Hickey Run watershed.

Both projects were developed following a December 2005 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) watershed assessment of Hickey Run and its . The assessment concluded that portions of the watershed are of poor quality with degraded , high sediment production, and reduced riparian buffer, mostly attributable to urbanization of the watershed. The assessment noted that Springhouse Run is an incised stream with very high erosion potential, extreme sensitivity to disturbances, and poor recovery potential. The FWS watershed assessment noted that armoring and dense riparian vegetation, which had been helping to protect the stream from erosive forces, were beginning to show signs of instability. As a result, FWS rated Springhouse Run as a “high” priority for restoration.

The proposed restoration activities at Springhouse Run will bring the stream back to its natural state through the use of geomorphic and natural channel design guidelines. The restored stream channel will be aesthetically pleasing and hydrologically stable with increased meanders and greater access to the floodplain. Habitat and riparian features will be addressed through the use of instream structures to promote pool and riffle sequences. Floodplains and wetlands will be established within the area of disturbance. Approximately 1,700 feet of stream will undergo the full restoration activities, from the confluence with Hickey Run to an area immediately north of Springhouse Pond. The remaining 230 feet of stream channel from Springhouse Pond to the New

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York Avenue outfall will not be substantially modified, but will undergo invasive species removal and re-vegetation with native plants. The restoration will also include removing five broken and deteriorating stormwater pipes and associated outfalls that deliver runoff to Springhouse Run and contribute to its erosion. Stormwater currently conveyed via these pipes will be managed with bioretention retrofits sited at the catch basins along Meadow Road and Hickey Lane. The project will also serve as an educational opportunity for visitors to the Arboretum. The use of informational signs and planned construction of a boardwalk (not part of this action) will educate visitors on the benefits associated with stream restoration, native plantings, wetland creation, and protecting waterways.

At the Arboretum’s R Street parking lot five bioretention facilities are proposed to treat stormwater and reduce peak runoff into Hickey Run. The proposed locations for the bioretention retrofits are in the circular drive at the entrance to the Arboretum visitor center and in the visitor center parking lot at the R Street entrance.

The proposed improvements are not inconsistent with the Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital, which encourages federal installations to reduce stormwater runoff and impacts on off- site water quality.

NCPC and the Department of Agriculture each have an independent responsibility to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA); NCPC’s responsibility stems from its approval authority over the project. In accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality’s rules for implementing NEPA, and the Commission’s Environmental and Historic Preservation Policies and Procedures, the Department of Agriculture completed an Environmental Assessment (EA) to evaluate potential environmental impacts of the proposed projects. On February 12, 2014 the Department of Agriculture issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the project. NCPC staff reviewed the EA and the Department of Agriculture’s FONSI and determined that the information and analysis provided meets the standards for an adequate EA as set forth in NCPC’s Environmental and Historic Preservation Policies and Procedures and that a FONSI was warranted based on the information contained in the EA. As such, the Executive Director adopts the Department of Agriculture’s FONSI for the Stream Restoration and Stormwater Management Retrofit Project with this action of approval of the proposed project.

In compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), on August 23, 2012 the Department of Agriculture concluded Section 106 consultation with the District of Columbia State Historic Preservation Office (DC SHPO) with a determination that the proposed construction would have no adverse effect on historical resources conditioned upon fulfillment of stipulated measures related to construction activities, full restoration of the site to its pre- construction appearance, and a revised Archaeological Report that incorporates comments provided by the DC SHPO. The Department of Agriculture has met the DC SHPO’s stipulations. NCPC also has an independent responsibility to comply with the NHPA due to NCPC’s approval authority over the project. Pursuant to the Section 106 implementing regulations (36 CFR Part 800), NCPC has elected to designate the Department of Agriculture as lead federal agency to fulfill its Section 106 responsibility.

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The Coordinating Committee reviewed the proposal at its March 12, 2014 meeting. The Committee forwarded the proposed preliminary and final site development plans to the Commission with the statement that the proposal has been coordinated with all participating agencies. The participating agencies were: NCPC; the District of Columbia Office of Planning; the District of Columbia Department of Transportation, the DC SHPO; the General Services Administration; the National Park Service and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

* * *

Pursuant to delegations of authority adopted by the Commission on October 3, 1996 and 40

U.S.C. §8722(b)(1) and (d), I approve the preliminary and final site development plans for the

Stream Restoration and Stormwater Management Retrofit Project at the United States National

Arboretum in Washington, D.C.

Marcel Acosta [Date] Executive Director