WILDLIFE HABITAT EVALUATION/UPLAND MITIGATION: THE PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PERSPECTIVE

This paper provides an overview of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's (PennDOT's) approach to wildlife habitat assessment and the development of upland mitigation strategies for transportation projects in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Although there are no specific regulatory requirements for wildlife evaluations, it is inherent in PennDOT's transportation project development process to evaluate impacts to wildlife and their habitat and determine appropriate mitigation. There are a number of Federal regulatory or procedural requirements and guidelines that provide guidance to State Departments of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) for considering impacts of transportation programs and projects on wildlife and their habitat, developing mitigation measures to minimize such impacts, and coordinating with the appropriate Federal, state, and local agencies responsible for wildlife and their resources. These regulations and guidelines do not mandate that PennDOT evaluate and mitigate impacts to wildlife species and habitat from transportation projects, except for state and Federal threatened/endangered species. While PennDOT has not developed a formalized policy to evaluate and mitigate wildlife impacts, as part of the Department's internal scoping process, the requirements for impacts and mitigation are written into the scope of work for a particular project. PennDOT is currently coordinating with the Federal and state agencies to develop a policy for terrestrial mitigation.

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Features: Figures; References;
  • Pagination: p. 235-259

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00745669
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA-PD-96-041
  • Files: TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
  • Created Date: Feb 3 1998 12:00AM