State DOT looking for comment on wetlands

The state of Maine Department of Transportation is seeking a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct work in navigable waters of the United States in conjunction with highway construction in Caribou.     The application proposes to construct a two-lane, controlled access highway on new alignment between State Route 161 at Ogren Road and U.S. Route 1 between North Street and Ouellette Road in Caribou.
This work is proposed in several unnamed tributaries to Hardwood Brook and Longfellow Brook and in their adjacent freshwater wetlands in Caribou.
The basic project purpose is to enhance regional transportation by improving connectivity and reducing travel times between Route 161 and Route 1 in Caribou, thereby improving public safety and traffic flow and mobility in downtown Caribou.
Three alignment options are being considered by the Maine DOT and are detailed in the corps public notice. Maine DOT has not identified a preferred alternative. Wetland/waterway impacts for the three alternative alignments range from 3.4 to 15.5 acres.
The project remains in the planning stage. Maine DOT has presented a preliminary application to assist the corps, following public comment, in determining which alternative is the least environment damaging practical alternative. Depending on what alternative is selected, the applicant will be required to develop a detailed mitigation plan intended to compensate for any unavoidable impacts to wetlands and other aquatic resources. The applicant will be required to obtain a permit and water quality certification from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.
The application for the federal permit was filed with the Corps of Engineers in compliance with Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, which regulates the discharge or fill of material in United States waters, including wetlands.
The public notice can be reviewed online at the Corps website http://www.nae.usace.army.mil. Select Regulatory/Permitting and then weekly public notices.
Public comments should be forwarded no later than Feb. 29, 2008, to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, Maine Project Office (ATTN: Jay Clement), 675 Western Ave., #3, Manchester, Maine 04351. Additional information is available from Permit Project Manager Jay Clement at 207-623-8367.