Environmental assessment for Conner N&S F-NH 7-1(41)16 F UPN 1281 in Ravalli County, Montana

2004·11.5 MB·English

by  Carter & Burgess

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388.1
T6EARC
2004
MONTANASTATELIBRARY
3 0864 0014 8409 9
Environmental Assessment
for
Conner N&S
F-NH7-1 (41)16F
UPN
1281
in
Ravalli County, Montana
Prepared for:
Federal Highway Administration
and
Montana Department of Transportation
Prepared by:
Carter Burgess
February 2004
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2012 with funding from
Montana State Library
http://archive.org/details/environmental6399cart
Environmental Assessment
for
Conner North & South
F-NH7-1 (41)16F
UPN 1281
in
Ravalli County, Montana
This document is prepared in conformance with the Montana Environmental Policy Act (MEPA)
requirements and contains the information required for an Environmental Assessment under the
provisions of ARM 18.2.237(2) and 18.2.239. It is also prepared in conformance with the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements for an Environmental Assessment
under 23CFR 771.119
.
Submitted Pursuant to 42 USC 4332(2)(c) 49 USC 303 and
Sections 2-3-104, 75-1-201 MCA
by the
U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
and the
Montana Department of Transportation
Submitted By:
W/^<^
^r-^V
DATE:
for Montana Department of Transportation
Reviewed and Approved for Distribution:
2-^-04-
DATE:
for Federal Highway Administration
The following persons may be contacted for additional information concerning this document:
Jean Riley, P.E. Craig Genzlinger, P.E.
Engineering Section Supervisor Operations Engineer
Environmental Services Bureau Montana Division
Montana Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration
2701 Prospect Avenue 2880 Skyway Drive
P.O. Box 201001 Helena, MT 59602
Helena, MT 59620-1001
This EA also is available for review on line at www.mdt.state.mt.us/environmental/eis-ea.

NORTH & SOUTH
Environmental Assessment
Distribution List
The following agencies, groups and individuals are receiving a copy ofthe Environmental
Assessment:
Ravalli County Commissioners U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
County Courthouse Attn. Scott Jackson
215 South Fourth 100 North Park Avenue, Suite 320
Hamilton, MT 59840-2853 Helena, MT 59601
Montana Department of Environmental Quality Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes
Directors Office Flathead Nation
Tom Ellerhoff Legal Department
1520 East Sixth Avenue P. O. Box 278
Helena, MT 59620 Pablo, MT 59855
Montana Environmental Quality Council U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
P.O. Box 215, State Capitol Montana Program Manager
Helena, MT 59620 10 West 15th Street, Suite 2200
Helena, MT 59626
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks
Helena Area Resource Office Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks
1420 E. Sixth Avenue Attn. Chris Clancy
Helena, MT 59601 1801 N. First Street
Hamilton, MT 59840
Ravalli County Floodplain Administrator
215 South 4(h
Hamilton, MT 59840
State Library
Collection Management Librarian
151 East Sixth Avenue
Helena, MT 59620-1800
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Region 8
Federal Building
301 S. Park Avenue
Helena, MT 59626-0096
NORTH & SOUTH
Environmental Assessment
ACRONYMS
AASHTO American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials
ADT Average Daily Traffic
BMP Best Management Practices
BRR Biological Resources Report
CEQ Council on Environmental Quality
CFR Code of Federal Regulations
Corps United States Army Corps of Engineers
CSKT Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes
DEQ Department of Environmental Quality
EA Environmental Assessment
EIS Environmental Impact Statement
EO Executive Order
EPA Environmental Protection Agency
ESA Endangered Species Act
FEMA Federal Emergency ManagementAgency
FHWA Federal Highway Administration
LOS Level of Service
MDT Montana Department ofTransportation
MEPA Montana Environmental Policy Act
MFWP Montana Fish, Wildlife, & Parks
MNHP Montana National Heritage Program
MOA Memorandum ofAgreement
NAC Noise Abatement Criteria
NEPA National Environmental PolicyAct
NHS National Highway System
NPDES National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
NRCS Natural Resources Conservation Service
NRHP National Register of Historic Places
PTW Present Traveled Way
RP Reference Post
ROW
Right-of-Way
SHPO State Historic Preservation Officer
TMDL Total Maximum Daily Load
USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife Service
NORTH & SOUTH
Environmental Assessment
Table of Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1
1.0 PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION 1-1
1.1 Study Area Description and Location 1-1
1.2 Existing Road Description 1-1
1.3 Proposed Action 1-4
1.4 Purpose and Need 1-7
1.4.1 Roadway Deficiencies 1-7
1.4.2 Traffic volumes and characteristics 1-8
1.4.3 Safety 1-11
1.4.4 System Continuity 1-13
1.5 Project History 1-13
2.0 ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED 2-1
2.1 Descriptions of Alternatives 2-1
2.1.1 No-Action Alternative 2-1
2.1.2 Build Alternatives 2-1
2.1.3 Medicine Tree Alternatives 2-2
2.2 Alternatives Considered, But Not Advanced 2-5
2.2.1 Evaluation Criteria 2-5
2.2.2 Evaluation of Alternatives Summary 2-7
AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES
3.0 3-1
3.1 Land Use 3-1
3.1.1 Affected Environment 3-1
3.1.2 Land Use Impacts 3-2
3.1.3 Land Use Mitigation 3-2
3.2 Farmland 3-2
3.2.1 Affected Environment 3-2
3.2.2 Farmland Impacts 3-3
3.2.3 Farmland Mitigation 3-3
3.3 Social 3-3
3.3.1 Affected Environment 3-3
3.3.2 Social Impacts 3-4
3.3.3 Environmental Justice and Title VI 3-4
3.3.4 Social Mitigation 3-5
3.4 Right-of-Way, Relocation, and Utilities 3-5
3.4.1 Affected Environment 3-5
3.4.2 Right-of-Way, Relocation, and Utilities Impacts 3-5
3.4.3 Right-of-Way, Relocation, and Utilities Mitigation 3-6
3.5 Economic 3-7
3.5.1 Affected Environment 3-7
3.5.2 Economic Impacts 3-7
3.5.3 Economic Mitigation 3-8
3.6 Air Quality 3-8
3.6.1 Affected Environment 3-8
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Environmental Assessment
3.6.2 Air Quality Impacts 3-8
3.6.3 Air Quality Mitigation 3-8
3.7 Noise 3-9
3.7.1 Affected Environment 3-9
3.7.2 Noise Impacts 3-10
3.7.3 Noise Mitigation 3-12
3.8 Water Resources and Water Quality 3-12
3.8.1 Affected Environment 3-12
3.8.2 Water Resources and Water Quality Impacts 3-16
3.8.3 Water Resources and Water Quality Mitigation 3-20
3.9 Permits Required 3-20
3.10 Wetlands 3-21
3.10.1 Affected Environment 3-21
3.10.2 Wetland Impacts 3-25
3.10.3 Practicable Alternatives 3-26
3.10.4 Wetland Mitigation 3-27
3.11 Terrestrial Biological Resources 3-28
3.11.1 Affected Environment 3-28
3.11.2 Terrestrial and Biological Impacts 3-30
3.11.3 Terrestrial and Biological Mitigation 3-32
3.12 Aquatic Resources 3-34
3.12.1 Affected Environment 3-34
3.12.2 Aquatic Resource Impacts 3-35
3.12.3 Aquatic Resources Mitigation 3-36
3.13Floodplains 3-37
3.13.1 Affected Environment 3-37
3.13.2 Floodplain Impacts 3-39
3.13.3 Floodplain Mitigation 3-39
3.14 Threatened or Endangered Species 3-40
3.14.1 Affected Environment 3-40
3.14.2 Threatened or Endangered Species Impacts 3-41
3.14.3 Conservation Measures 3-45
3.15 Cultural Resources and Section 4(f) 3-46
3.15.1 Affected Environment 3-46
3.15.2 Cultural Resources Impacts 3-47
3.15.3 Cultural Resources Mitigation 3-48
3.16 Hazardous Waste Sites 3-48
3.16.1 Affected Environment 3-49
3.16.2 Hazardous Waste Impacts 3-49
3.16.3 Hazardous Waste Mitigation 3-49
3.17 Visual Resources 3-49
3.17.1 Affected Environment 3-49
3.17.2 Visual Impacts 3-53
3.17.3 Visual Resource Mitigation 3-55
3.18 Parks and Recreation 3-55
3.18.1 Affected Environment 3-55
3.18.2 Parks and Recreation Impacts 3-56
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