Belleview Bypass Listed Species Surveys and Permitting

As part of the FDOT District Five Districtwide Contract, DRMP conducted plans review for a Local Agency Program (LAP) project, the Belleview Bypass, and identified that the environmental permits obtained by Marion County, Florida during the early project design would require further investigation for protected species impacts as U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) guidance had changed while the construction of the project awaited funding.  To ensure the project complied with state and federal environmental regulations prior to construction, the District needed an environmental firm to conduct wildlife surveys and agency coordination.

DRMP staff coordinated with District Five, the FDOT LAP Coordinator and Marion County to conduct species-specific surveys for the eastern indigo snake, gopher tortoise and sand skink.  The eastern indigo snake required the visual inspection of all potential snake refugia, which resulted in the inspection of over 380 potential underground refugia locations within the corridor.  The sand skink survey required 895 coverboards to cover for 22-acres of potential skink habitat.  No eastern indigo snakes were observed, but it was determined that 4.95-acres of occupied sand skink habitat occurred within the project corridor.  DRMP and District Five coordinated with the USFWS to obtain approval of the mitigation plan to purchase 9.9 credits from a conservation bank.  DRMP provided the USFWS with a draft Biological Opinion with all important project information expedited project approval by the USFWS. 

DRMP’s early identification of potential project-stoppers allowed time for FDOT District Five to coordinate with Marion County to ensure the critical wildlife species were properly assessed and permitted in accordance with all state and federal regulations.  This effort allowed District Five and Marion County joint venture project to continue without any loss of funding or any major delays in construction.