6/21/2006
Mollie McCarty
ITD Chief External Affairs Officer
208-334-8804
mollie.mccarty@itd.idaho.gov
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued Letter of Concurrence for Sand Creek Byway project
COEUR d'ALENE -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has issued a letter of concurrence on the Biological Assessment (BA) for the U.S. 95 North/South project, the Idaho Transportation Department announced.
The letter, issued June 13, concurs with the findings in the BA that the project will have no significant impact on any endangered species, including bull trout and bald eagles.
The BA covers the entire project area, which has been divided into four smaller projects, including the Sand Creek Byway. With receipt of the concurrence notice, the transportation department has been able to move forward with several key steps in the environmental process for the Sand Creek Byway project, which is scheduled to bid later this year.
ITD submitted an application for permits to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) and the Idaho Department of Lands requesting authorization for dredging and the placement of fill material in Sand Creek and other areas. The department expects to have the necessary permits by this fall.
The department also submitted an Environmental Re-evaluation to the Federal Highway Administration on Tuesday (June 20). The re-evaluation process ensures that scientific data on the byway and the three other segments of the North/South project are current with all environmental regulations and policies. Review of the re-evaluation is expected to take about a week.
These are major milestones for the Sand Creek Byway project, according to Barbara Babic, the project's public involvement coordinator.
"The byway team is very excited to share this good news with the Bonner County community," Babic said. "They have played a key role in getting the project to this point. We are very appreciative of their patience and support."
For more information about the Sand Creek Byway project, visit the transportation department's Web site at www.itd.idaho.gov, and click on "get involved."