Coordination and Conclusions

1. Coordination and Conclusions Number of Copies Agency Submissions & Comments

2. Coordination • ESRs are reviewed by OES and coordinated with resource agencies as part of the NEPA review and as required by: • Clean Water Act • Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act • Endangered Species Act • Wild and Scenic River Act • Etc.

3. Agency Coordination: • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) coordination: • projects with potential impacts to federally listed species, wildlife, stream, and/or wetlands. • Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) coordination: • projects with potential impacts to State listed species, wildlife, streams, wetlands, State scenic rivers, within the Lake Erie Coastal Management Zone (CZM). • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) coordination: • projects that require a jurisdictional determination on waters of the U.S., an individual 404 permit, and/or Section 10 in the Rivers and Harbors Act.

4. Agency Coordination continued: • The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) coordination: • projects that require a 401 WQC • National Park Service (NPS) coordination: • projects that impact a Nation Wild or Scenic River, a direct tributary to a Nation Wild or Scenic River, or a stream that is listed on the Nationwide Rivers Inventory (NRI). • The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA): coordination: • projects that require an Environmental Assessment or an Environmental Impact Statement.

5. OES Review and Agency Coordination • Level One ESRs: • Draft ESRs : One complete PDF copy and the text of the Level 1 form as a Word document submitted to the ODOT District Office. • Final ESRs : One PDF copy submitted to the ODOT District Office (a hard copy may be request by the District Office) • The PDF is then forwarded to OES. • Approved documents are coordinated as PDFs with USFWS and ODNR and other agencies as needed. • Coordination typically takes 30 days .

6. OES Review and Agency Coordination • Level Two and LV Threes ESRs: • Draft ESRs: • Consultant submits one complete PDF copy and the text of the Level 1 form as a Word document to the District for coordination with OES • Necessary revisions are routed back through the District then to the Consultant. • Final ESRs: • The final completed PDF is then forwarded • to District/OES for coordination with: • - USACE - USFWS • - OEPA - ODNR • - OES • Possibly NPS, USEPA, USCG, etc. • A hard copy may be requested as needed. • Coordination typically takes 30 days .

7. Conclusions • Agency comments to ESRs must be addressed in: • NEPA Document, • Commitments (plan changes), • And /or correspondence back to the agencies may require additional field studies or coordination • Comments may relate: • Alternative selection • Avoidance, minimization, and/or mitigation of impacts to ecological resources. • Specialized studies or reports required; • BA/BO • Mussel relocation • Responses to agency comments are prepared in coordination with the ODOT District office and OES

8. IMPORTANT NOTE: Under no circumstances should a consultant coordinate any ODOT project ecological document with any regulatory or resource agency.

9. OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES QUESTIONS