Public Review of a Proposed Activity in a Wetland on Flugertown Road

Willowemoc, NY - The Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) intends to fund the following proposed action under the Timber for Transit Program. NBRC will prepare an 8-Step Decision-Making Process review in compliance with Executive Order (EO) 11988 (Floodplain Management) to ensure federally funded projects consider floodplain impacts and avoid unnecessary risks. NBRC will also adhere to EO 11990 (Protection of Wetlands), which established a more protective standard to avoid, where practicable, adverse impacts associated with the destruction or modification of wetlands.

The purpose of the Proposed Action is to entirely replace Bridge 368 with a new bridge providing the same function as the existing bridge for providing a single bidirectional traffic lane for use by vehicles and pedestrians to cross the Willowemoc Creek. The project is located approximately at GPS coordinates 41.9503, -74.6322 on Flugertown Road, within the Northern part of the Town of Neversink.

The proposed action would include constructing new abutments (substructure), new bridge superstructures, new wing walls and a new railing system. The project is consistent with the Timber for Transit Program in making use of advanced glue-laminated timber construction to replace the antiquated timber beam superstructure which has a nail laminated (non-glue-laminated) timber deck.

The proposed action includes increasing the bridge span within the bounds of the existing road from 25.4 feet to approximately 30 feet and raising the height of the bridge over the creek bottom from 5.5 feet to 6 feet. Further the width of the bridge deck over the Creek would be increased from 12 feet to 16 feet providing greater safety for traffic crossing the bridge. The entire Proposed Action would be within the existing area used for the road inclusive of the increased span of the bridge which requires the excavation within the area used for the road.

• Floodplain Determination: The floodplain status of the proposed action was determined using FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) Panel 36105C0145G, dated February 18, 2018. According to the FEMA map the project is within the 100-year flood plain. As such the project warrants an analysis under the 8-Step Decision-Making Process.
• Wetland Determination: For the proposed action, wetlands were identified using the United States Fish and Wildlife Service National Wetland Inventory (NWI) database. Based on the NWI maps, a portion of the project is located within a R3UBH Riverine wetland and as such the project warrants an analysis under the 8-Step Decision-Making Process.

This notice provides people who may be affected by the proposed action and those who have an interest in the protection of the natural environment with an opportunity to express their concerns and provide information. Commenters are encouraged to offer alternative sites, alternative methods to serve the same project purpose, and methods to minimize and mitigate impacts.

Comments should be emailed to nepa@nbrc.gov. NBRC is accepting comments on this notice for 15 days from 4/7/2025 through the end of the day on 4/22/2025.

Date of Publication: April 7, 2025