CONCORD, Mass. – The town of Brownville is seeking a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District to conduct work in waters of the U.S. in conjunction with the replacement of an existing undersized culvert with a larger one in Brownville, Maine.
The town of Brownville proposes the placement of permanent and temporary fill material below the ordinary high water line of an unnamed tributary to the Pleasant River in Brownville Junction (Brownville) in order to replace an undersized culvert beneath Front Street with a larger open bottom culvert. De-watering the work site will require the installation of temporary cofferdams. The project will result in approximately 1,700 square feet of permanent and 17,400 square feet or temporary stream bed impact.
The Corps is soliciting comments from the public; Federal, state and local agencies and officials; Indian Tribes; and other interested parties in order to consider and evaluate the impacts of this proposed activity. Any comments received will be considered by the Corps to determine whether to issue, modify, condition or deny a permit for this proposal. Comments are used to assess impacts on endangered species, historic properties, water quality, general environmental effects, and other public interest factors.
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 U.S. waters, including wetlands. The public notice can be viewed at www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/PublicNotices.aspx.
This proposed work may impact Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) for Atlantic salmon. Habitat consists of stream bottom composed of mixed sand, gravel, cobble and boulders. Long-term impact to this species is expected to be minimal with appropriate erosion control measures, in stream work windows, and other best management practices. The Corps has made a preliminary determination that the site-specific adverse effect will be minimal. Further consultation with the federal resource agencies regarding EFH conservation recommendations is being conducted and will be concluded prior to the final permit decision. Similarly, consultation will be initiated regarding the presence of salmon as they are a federally listed endangered species.
Public comments referencing this permit request by the town of Brownville (File # NAE-2017-861) should be forwarded no later than May 2, 2017 to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, Maine Project Office (ATTN: Shawn Mahaney), 675 Western Ave., #3, Manchester, Maine 04351. Additional information is available from Permit Project Manager Shawn Mahaney at 978-318-8492 or 207-623-8367 or by email to shawn.b.mahaney@usace.army.mil.