October 31, 2018 Mr. Angel Correa Division Administrator Federal Highway Administration 700 West Capitol, Room 3130 Little Rock, Arkansas 72201-3298 Re: Job Number 090430 FAP Number NHPP-0044(15) Pigeon Creek Str. & Apprs. (S) Hwy. 74, Section 3 Bridge Number 03419 Madison County Tier 3 Categorical Exclusion Dear Mr. Correa: The Environmental Division reviewed the referenced project and has determined it falls within the definition of the Tier 3 Categorical Exclusion as defined by the ARDOT/FHWA Memorandum of Agreement on the processing of Categorical Exclusions. The following information is included for your review and, if acceptable, approval as the environmental documentation for this project. The purpose of the project is to replace a substandard bridge with a box culvert on Highway 74 over Pigeon Creek in Madison County, Arkansas. Total length of the project is 0.08 mile. A project location map is enclosed. The existing Pigeon Creek Bridge (Bridge Number 03419) is a 24‘ wide x 76’ long structure with four 19’ reinforced concrete channel beam sections supported by reinforced concrete bents and steel pile end bents. The existing roadway consists of two 11’ wide paved travel lanes with 3’ wide grass shoulders. The existing right of way width is 100’. A quintuplet steel reinforced concrete box culvert will be built on existing location. A temporary detour road will be constructed 104’ south of the existing structure Job Number 090430 Tier 3 Categorical Exclusion Page 2 of 3 and will utilize pipe culverts in crossing Pigeon Creek. The new approaches will consist of two 12’ wide paved travel lanes with 8’ wide shoulders. A proposed right of way width of 220’ will require 0.68 acres of additional right of way and 1.05 acres of temporary construction easements. Of this acreage, approximately 0.04 acre of Prime Farmland and 0.02 acre of Farmland of Statewide Importance will be converted to highway right of way. Form NRCS-CPA-106 for Farmland Conversion is enclosed. Design data for this project is as follows: Design Year Average Daily Percent Trucks Design Speed Traffic 2019 1,900 5 55 mph 2039 2,200 5 55 mph There are no relocations, wetlands, wellhead protection areas, public water supplies, cultural resources, or environmental justice issues involved with this project. Field inspections found no evidence of existing underground storage tanks or hazardous waste deposits on site. State Historic Preservation Office clearance is enclosed. Stream impacts at Pigeon Creek will result in less than 0.1 acre of permanent fill. Construction of the proposed project should be allowed under the terms of a Nationwide Permit 14 for Linear Transportation Projects. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Information for Planning and Consultation website lists the gray bat (Myotis grisescens), Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis), northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis), Ozark big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii ingens), Rabbitsfoot (Theliderma cylindrica), and Missouri bladderpod (Physaria filiformis) as threatened and endangered species potentially occurring at or near the project location. A bat mist net survey was conducted on June 10-11, 2018 by HDR consultants that resulted in no captures of federally protected bats. With the limited amount of tree clearing, negative results of presence/absence survey, distance to known species locations, and best management practices to reduce sedimentation, the USFWS concurred with a determination of "may affect, not likely to adversely affect" for Indiana bat, gray bat, and Ozark big-eared bats on July 25, 2018. No ek Madison 7880 Rd Wesley ek e r ek C land Cre Rich n o e ig Madison 6105 Rd P 7 4 Madison 7305 Rd End Job 090430 Begin Job 090430 7 4 Madison 6290 Rd reek Lo Richland C llar s Creek 3 0 3 ! Project Location 0 960 1,920 Job 090430 Pigeon Creek Str. & Apprs. Feet (Hwy. 74) Project Location ARDOT - Environmental GIS - Hopkins Madison County ³ July 31, 2018 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE NRCS-CPA-106 Natural Resources Conservation Service (Rev.1-91) FARMLAND CONVERSION IMPACT RATING FOR CORRIDOR TYPE PROJECTS 10/1Tf2018 PART I (To be completed by Federal Agency) Job 090430 3 Date of Land Evaluation Request Sheet 1 of 1._ 1 r Name of Project Pigeon Creek Str & Apprs 5. Federal Agency Involved FHWA 2. Type of Project Bridge replacement with a box culvert 6. County and State Madison, AR 1. PART II (To be completed by NRCS) Date Request Received by NRCS 2. Person Completing Form 4. Acres Irrigated Average Farm Size 3. Does the corridor contain orime. unioue statewide or local imoortantfarmland? YES NO I (If no, the FPPA does not apply - Do not complete additional parts of this form). 5. Major Crop(s) 6. Farmable Land In Government Jurisdiction 7. Amount of Farmland As Defined In FPPA Acres: % Acres: % 8. Name Of Land Evaluation System Used 9. Name of Local Site Assessment System 10. Dale Land Evaluatlon Returned by NRCS AlternativeCorridor For Segment PART Ill (To be completed by Federal Agency) Corridor A CorrldorB Corridor C CorridorD A. Total Acres To Be Converted Directly 0.68 B. Total Acres To Be Converted Indirectly, Or To Receive Services C. Total Acres In Corridor 2.02 PART IV (To be completed by NRCS) Land Evaluation Information A. Total Acres Prime And Unique Farmland 0.04 B. Total Acres Statewide And Local ImportantFarmland 0.02 C. Percentage Of Farmland in County Or Local Govt. Unit To Be Converted D. Percentage Of Farmland in Govt. Jurisdiction With Same Or Higher Relative Value PART V (To becomp leted by NRCS) LandEvaluation ln fonnationCriterion Relative value of Fannland toBe Serviced or Converted (Scale of O -100 Points) PART VI (To be completed by Federal Agency) Corridor Maximum Assessment Criteria (These criteria are explained in 7 CFR 658.S(c)) Points 1. Area in Nonurban Use 15 10 2. Perimeter in Nonurban Use 10 0 3. Percent Of Corridor Being Farmed 20 1 4. Protection Provided By State And Local Government 20 0 5. Size of Present Fanm Unit Compared To Average 10 1 6. Creation Of Nonfarmable Farmland 25 0 7. Availability Of Farm SupportServices 5 5 5 B. On-Farm Investments 20 9. EffectsOf Conversion On Farm SupportServices 25 0 10. Compatlbillty With Existing Agricultural Use 10 0 TOTAL CORRIDOR ASSESSMENT POINTS 160 22 PART VII (To be completed by Federal Agency) Relative Value Of Farmland (From PartV) 100 100 Total Corridor Assessment (From PartVI above or a local site 160 22 assessment) TOTAL POINTS (Total of above 2 lines) 260 122 1. Corridor Selected 2. Total Acres of Farmlands to be 3. Date Of Selection: 4. Was A Local Site Assessment Used? Converted by Project: On existing location. 0.04 acres of Prime Farmland & October 17, 2018 0.02 acres of Statewide YES D NO 0 Importance 5. Reason For Selection: Best location. Signature ofPerson Completing this Part: IDATE October 17, 2018 � f3aeru, NOT omplete a form for each segment with more than one Alternate Corridor United States Department of the Interior FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE Arkansas Ecological Services Field Office 110 South Amity Suite 300 Conway, AR 72032-8975 Phone: (501) 513-4470 Fax: (501) 513-4480 http://www.fws.gov/arkansas-es In Reply Refer To: June 19, 2018 Consultation Code: 04ER1000-2018-SLI-0698 Event Code: 04ER1000-2018-E-01734 Project Name: Pigeon Creek Str. & Apprs. (S) Subject: Updated list of threatened and endangered species that may occur in your proposed project location, and/or may be affected by your proposed project To Whom It May Concern: The enclosed species list identifies endangered, threatened, proposed, and candidate species, as well as proposed and final designated critical habitat, that may occur within the boundary of your proposed project and/or may be affected by your proposed project. The species list fulfills the requirements of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) under section 7(c) of the Endangered Species Act (Act) of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). This letter only provides an official species list and technical assistance; if you determine that listed species and/or designated critical habitat may be affected in any way by the proposed project, even if the effect is wholly beneficial, consultation with the Service will be necessary. The purpose of the Act is to provide a means whereby threatened and endangered species and the ecosystems upon which they depend may be conserved. Under sections 7(a)(1) and 7(a)(2) of the Act and its implementing regulations (50 CFR 402 et seq.), federal agencies are required to utilize their authorities to carry out programs for the conservation of threatened and endangered species and to determine whether projects may affect threatened and endangered species and/or designated critical habitat. More information on the regulations and procedures for section 7 consultation, including the role of permit or license applicants, can be found on our website. Please visit our website at http://www.fws.gov/arkansas-es/IPaC/home.html for species- specific guidance to avoid and minimize adverse effects to federally endangered, threatened, proposed, and candidate species. Our web site also contains additional information on species life history and habitat requirements that may be useful in project planning. 06/19/2018 Event Code: 04ER1000-2018-E-01734 2 If your project involves in-stream construction activities, oil and natural gas infrastructure, road construction, transmission lines, or communication towers, please review our project specific guidance at http://www.fws.gov/arkansas-es/IPaC/ProjSpec.html. The karst region of Arkansas is a unique region that covers the northern third of Arkansas and we have specific guidance to conserve sensitive cave-obligate and bat species.