SR 60 Grade Separation Over CSX Railroad Financial Project ID 436559-1-52-01 Polk County Endangered Species Biological Assessment Prepared For: The Florida Department of Transportation District One September 2016 Table of Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 1 2.0 EXISTING ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS .................................................................. 4 2.1 Soils .................................................................................................................................. 4 2.2 Existing Land Use .............................................................................................................. 7 3.0 THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES ........................................................................ 10 3.1 Methodology .................................................................................................................. 10 3.2 Agency Coordination ...................................................................................................... 11 3.3 Listed Species Potentially within the Project Area ........................................................ 11 3.3.1 Federal Species ....................................................................................................... 13 3.3.1.1 American Alligator .......................................................................................................... 13 3.3.1.2 Eastern Indigo Snake ....................................................................................................... 14 3.3.1.3 Sand Skink and Blue-tailed Mole Skink ........................................................................... 14 3.3.1.4 Florida Scrub Jay ............................................................................................................. 16 3.3.1.5 Audubon’s Crested Caracara ........................................................................................... 16 3.3.1.6 Wood Stork ..................................................................................................................... 18 3.3.1.7 Everglade Snail Kite ......................................................................................................... 22 3.3.2 State Species ........................................................................................................... 22 3.3.2.1 Gopher Frog .................................................................................................................... 22 3.3.2.2 Gopher Tortoise .............................................................................................................. 23 3.3.2.3 Florida Pine Snake ........................................................................................................... 23 3.3.2.4 Limpkin ............................................................................................................................ 25 3.3.2.5 Florida Mouse ................................................................................................................. 25 3.3.2.6 Sherman’s Fox Squirrel ................................................................................................... 25 3.3.2.7 Little Blue Heron ............................................................................................................. 26 3.3.2.8 Tricolored Heron ............................................................................................................. 28 3.3.2.9 White Ibis ........................................................................................................................ 28 3.3.2.10 Southeastern American Kestrel .................................................................................. 28 3.3.2.11 Florida Sandhill Crane ................................................................................................. 31 3.3.2.12 Bald Eagle .................................................................................................................... 32 Endangered Species Biological Assessment SR 60 Grade Separation over CSX Railroad FPID 436559-1-52-01 i 3.3.2.13 Osprey ......................................................................................................................... 33 3.3.2.14 Florida Burrowing Owl ................................................................................................ 33 3.3.2.15 Listed Flora Species ..................................................................................................... 34 3.4 Critical Habitat ................................................................................................................ 34 4.0 PROPOSED IMPACTS .......................................................................................................... 34 4.1 Protected Species Impacts ............................................................................................. 34 4.1.1 Anticipated Protected Species Effect Determinations- Federal Species ................ 35 4.1.1.1 American Alligator .......................................................................................................... 35 4.1.1.2 Eastern Indigo Snake ....................................................................................................... 35 4.1.1.3 Sand Skink and Blue-tailed Mole Skink ........................................................................... 35 4.1.1.4 Florida Scrub Jay ............................................................................................................. 35 4.1.1.5 Audubon’s Crested Caracara ........................................................................................... 36 4.1.1.6 Wood Stork ..................................................................................................................... 36 4.1.1.7 Everglade Snail Kite ......................................................................................................... 37 4.1.2 Anticipated Protected Species Effect Determinations - State Species ................... 37 4.1.2.1 Gopher Frog .................................................................................................................... 37 4.1.2.2 Gopher Tortoise .............................................................................................................. 37 4.1.2.3 Florida Pine Snake ........................................................................................................... 38 4.1.2.4 Southeastern American Kestrel ...................................................................................... 38 4.1.2.5 Wading Birds ................................................................................................................... 39 4.1.2.6 Florida Mouse ................................................................................................................. 39 4.1.2.7 Sherman’s Fox Squirrel ................................................................................................... 39 4.1.2.8 Florida Sandhill Crane ..................................................................................................... 40 4.1.2.9 Bald Eagle ........................................................................................................................ 40 4.1.2.10 Osprey ......................................................................................................................... 40 4.1.2.11 Florida Burrowing Owl ................................................................................................ 40 4.1.2.12 Listed Flora Species ..................................................................................................... 41 4.1.3 Anticipated Protected Species Impact Determination Summary ........................... 41 4.1.4 Critical Habitat Impacts ........................................................................................... 42 5.0 CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................................... 42 6.0 REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................... 45 Endangered Species Biological Assessment SR 60 Grade Separation over CSX Railroad FPID 436559-1-52-01 ii TABLES PAGE Table 1 Land Uses in Existing and Proposed Right-of-Way............................................................ 7 Table 2 Listed or Protected Species Potentially Present in Project Area .................................... 11 Table 3 Anticipated Effects Determination Summary of Federal-Listed Species ........................ 41 Table 4 Anticipated Effects Determination Summary of State-Listed Species ............................ 41 Table 5 Anticipated Effects Determination Summary of Other Species ...................................... 42 FIGURES PAGE Figure 1 Project Location Map ....................................................................................................... 2 Figure 2 Project Location on USGS Base Map ................................................................................ 3 Figure 3 Soils Map .......................................................................................................................... 5 Figure 4 FLUCFCS / Land Use Map ................................................................................................. 8 Figure 5 Wetlands and Surface Water Locations ..........................................................................