Welcome to District 12 Orange County

One of the goals of CEQA/NEPA is to ensure early coordination and consultation with resource agencies. Depending on the environmental impacts to a resource, one or several resources agencies may be con-tacted during the environmental document phase for consultation to address potential project impacts to resources. If the resource agency determines an impact to its resources, the project proponent may be required to obtain applicable permits. Although the permit process may not occur until a later phase in the project, early coordination is required. This would allow the project proponent and the resources agency to determine the required permit(s) and methods to minimize the potential impacts to the re-sources.

During the early phase of the SR-22 WOCC proposed project, Caltrans initiated coordination with several resources agencies to determine the possible required permits. The regulatory agencies were contacted as part of the coordination and consultation efforts:

A. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS): As part of the coordination and consultation efforts, in June 2000 Caltrans contacted USFWS requesting information on sensitive/listed species that potentially occur within the limits of the SR-22/WOCC study area.

B. California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG): A Section 1601 Streambed/Lake Alteration Agreement from CDFG may be required if there is diversion or obstruction in the natural flow or change of the bed, channel, or bank of any river, stream, or lake, or use of any material from a streambed, designated by the Department as an existing fish or wildlife resource.

C. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE): Caltrans, OCTA, and the SR-22/WOCC consultants have informally consulted with the Corps regarding permitting for the various project elements. Spe-cifically, a draft NEPA/Section 404 Permit Process Determination Preliminary Information Pack-age was prepared. The Section 404 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) process was not applied because of the anticipated applicability of a nationwide 404 permit.

D. State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO): Caltrans has provided the Historic Property Survey Report, Historic Architectural Survey Report, and the Negative Archaeological Survey Report to FHWA for transmittal to the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). The SHPO conclusion on the HPSR and Determination of Effect Finding of Adverse Effect (DOE/FOE) documentation are as follows:

· SHPO concurs with FHWA's determination that the Full Build Alternative, with its proposed Pacific Electrical Arterial component, would have an adverse effect on the Pacific Elec-tric/Santa Ana Bridge (a National Register eligible property) if selected as the preferred alter-native;

· SHPO concurs that the Reduced Build Alternative, if selected as the preferred alternative, would have no effect on historic properties.