PLANTING PURPLE MILKWEED – PEF members Kathleen Conrad and Gretchen
Fitzgerald plant seeds at the Stewart State Forest.
“The two large wildlife underpasses are seven feet high and 11 feet wide, so
they can accommodate large mammals such as white-tailed deer,” MacAvery
said.
The area, known as the Stewart State Forest, also has the largest-known
population in the Northeast of the rare purple milkweed plant. The DOT crew
worked with members from the state Department of Environmental Conservation to
locate and start a seed bank, to grow the plant in other sections of the forest.
“We designed the wetland mitigation area to avoid the area of the purple
milkweed plant. There were a lot of different things people weren’t used to on
this project. I went back and forth from the design office to the actual site to
help make sure all went according to plan,” MacAvery said.
Learning for the future
The actual construction of the project was in the hands of another PEF member,
Rashid Shariff, the engineer-in-charge.
“It was my role to make sure everything was done according to plan and
specifications,” Shariff said. “This project was very unique as it addressed
environmental issues.”
MacAvery said DOT will monitor the wildlife that are crossing the road and not
using the tunnels to get to the other side of the forest preserve.
“We’re still gathering information, but if we have to make an adjustment or
change, we will try to do that. Our goal is to channel the animals to the
crossing. This is the first year we are monitoring. Hopefully, over the course
of a couple of years we can look back and determine if the weather, or the
seasons have a role,” he said.
“During the design process, you don’t know if there are any hot spots where
animals will cross the road, because the road isn’t in use yet. We will learn
and take that knowledge with us to the next project.”
Entrance to an animal crossing. — Photos courtesy of
the state Department of Transportation
MADE FOR AMPHIBIANS – This is one of 12 vernal pools
at the Stewart State Forest.
By DEBORAH A. MILES
A recently completed state Department of Transportation (DOT) project at Stewart
International Airport in Orange County is among the frontrunners in taking
wildlife to heart. So much so, DOT won an Exemplary Ecosystem Initiative Award
from the Federal Highway Administration.
The $55-million project was conceptualized in 1993 when the need for an
interstate interchange (exit 5A off I84) was on the drawing board. The project
also included the realigning of 3.5 miles of an existing road and 1.2 miles of a
new airport access road.
So how does protecting wildlife fit in this scenario?
Lisa Weiss, an environmental program manager and PEF Division 192 member, worked
on the ground floor of the project when the focus was on ways to avoid or
significantly minimize environmental impacts.
“My role was in environmental processing,” Weiss said. “We went through the
environmental impact statement, public hearings, environmental permitting and
the design of the crossings. We had substantial interaction with the
environmental regulatory agencies, the public and project partners, including
the New York State Thruway Authority, Federal Highway Administration and private
consultants. There was a lot of communication and patience. The end product is
well worth the travel in between.”
The end product includes five wildlife crossings, 13 acres of newly constructed
wetlands, the creation of 12 vernal pools used by salamanders and other
amphibians, and the preservation of a great blue heron rookery.
It also makes the road safer for drivers, as deer and other large animals now
have their own crossing.
Designing for safety
Stephen MacAvery, an environmental specialist 2, worked on the design end of the
project.
“We built five underground tunnels or crossings for the wildlife,” MacAvery
said. “Three of the tunnels were built to accommodate amphibians, reptiles and
small animals. We also built a barrier wall to help direct amphibians,
especially the salamanders, toward the tunnels.
(Continued on next column)