St. Johns Heritage Parkway
Brevard County, Florida needed a firm to provide environmental services for the new alignment of St. Johns Heritage Parkway. The new alignment faced many challenges such as taking endangered species into consideration and obtaining various permits.
DRMP provided the ecological services for the new alignment of St. Johns Heritage Parkway, which consisted of connecting the St. Johns Heritage Parkway/Washingtonia Extension from the south to the proposed FDOT interchange at Ellis Road to the north. The environmental resource permitting required extensive coordination with FDOT and state and federal agencies. In addition to obtaining permits from the St Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) and US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), this project required agency clearances from US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Species-specific surveys and in-depth impact analysis were conducted for crested caracara, burrowing owl and wood stork. Mitigation was provided to offset impacts to wood stork foraging habitat, and it was determined the project would have no impact on the crested caracara, though present within the project area. Project clearance was obtained from the USFWS. Additionally, a Burrowing Owl Nest Removal Permit was obtained from the FWC. The burrows within the alignment impact area were monitored and then collapsed in accordance with the FWC-issued permit. Along with the SJRWMD permit, a conservation easement release and mitigation was required by for the alignment impacting a SJRWMD conservation easement. DRMP coordinated with SJRWMD and Brevard County to mitigate the impact to conservation easement and obtained approval for the conservation easement release.
The new alignment will provide County with a north-south alternative to the congested Minton Road, which will relieve traffic throughout the area. The County and the community were able to continue this project with confidence that the surrounding environment and its various wildlife would be minimally affected.
