Environmental Coordination

ENVIRONMENTAL COORDINATION, MAPPING, AND MITIGATION DISCUSSION

The Baltimore Regional Transportation Board (BRTB), as the Metropolitan Planning Organization for the Baltimore region, is required to consult, as appropriate, with State and local agencies responsible for land use management, natural resources, environmental protection, conservation, and historic preservation concerning the development of long-range transportation plans (23 C.F.R. § 450.322(g)).

To meet these requirements during the development of the region’s current long range transportation plan, Transportation Outlook 2035, the BRTB consulted with a wide range of natural and historic resource agencies and other partners. This consultation offered opportunities for resource agency coordination partners to become more familiar with the regional transportation planning process. It also assisted with sharing of information regarding resource conservation inventories and plans, along with processes for mitigating impacts from the transportation sector in the region. An important point shared is that mitigation measures include avoidance and minimization of impacts in addition to compensation measures.　　

Environmental Coordination and Mapping

Environmental coordination and consultation for Transportation Outlook 2035 was initiated in May 2006 when staff initially met at the State Highway Administration with State and federal resource agency representatives. Agencies involved in the required environmental coordination process for Transportation Outlook 2035 are indicated in the table below.

Agencies Involved in Environmental Coordination for Transportation Outlook 2035

• Baltimore Regional Transportation Board (www.baltometro.org)
• Maryland State Highway Administration (www.marylandroads.com)
• U.S. DOT, Federal Highway Administration, DelMar Division (www.fhwa.dot.gov/demddiv/index.htm)
• Maryland Dept. of Environment (www.mde.state.md.us/)
• Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources (www.dnr.state.md.us/)
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (www.fws.gov/)
• Maryland Dept. of Planning (www.mdp.state.md.us/)
• Maryland Historical Trust, MDP (www.mht.maryland.gov/)  
• U.S. EPA, Region 3 (www.epa.gov/region03/index.htm)
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (www.usace.army.mil/Pages/default.aspx)

At their initial meetings, staff outlined the environmental consultation and mitigation requirements resulting from the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). BMC staff, SHA, and coordination partners continued to meet and converse throughout 2006 and 2007 in order to compile a set of resource databases, inventories, and plans that would be ideal for mapping alongside the Transportation Outlook 2035 projects. During this time period BMC staff, using for the most part State GIS data already made available online through the Maryland State Geographic Information Committee, created maps overlaying various natural and historic resource data with projects submitted for inclusion in the Plan.　

In 2007, once the preferred alternative was determined, the set of maps was updated to include the refined set of transportation projects. View the maps created for Transportation Outlook 2035.

Mitigation Discussion

Also as a result of SAFETEA-LU, long-range transportation plans must include a "discussion of types of potential environmental mitigation activities and potential areas to carry out these activities, including activities that may have the greatest potential to restore and maintain the environmental functions affected by the metropolitan transportation plan." Additional federal requirements of this mitigation portion of a long range transportation plan include the following.

• The mitigation discussion may focus on policies, programs, or strategies, rather than at the project level.
• The mitigation discussion shall be developed in consultation with Federal, State, and Tribal land management, wildlife, and regulatory agencies.
• The MPO may establish reasonable timeframes for performing this consultation.

BMC staff consulted with SHA and other coordination partners to gather information on mitigation activities, plans and requirements. Access the resulting mitigation discussion included in Chapter 5 of Transportation Outlook 2035 (pdf).

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Last Updated on Thursday, 24 June 2010 13:29