Appendix B

 Coordination and

Consultation

To: John E. Oimoen Attn: Miriam Gutierrez

From: John D. Baranzelli By: Thomas C. Brooks

Subject: Biological Resources Review

Date: June 10, 2013

Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) High Speed Rail project – Elkhart siding

Elkhart, IL to Broadwell, IL (MP 161 to 171)

Logan County, IL

Sequence number 17551

We reviewed the proposed improvement captioned above in accordance with 17 Ill. Adm. 

Code Part 1075—Consultation Procedures for Assessing Impacts of Agency Actions on 

Endangered and Threatened Species and Natural Areas—and 17 Ill. Adm. Code Part 

1090—Implementation Procedures for the Interagency Wetlands Policy Act. We also 

reviewed the proposed improvement in fulfillment of our obligation under Section 7(a)(2) 

of the federal Endangered Species Act. 

The proposed improvement would provide a siding at Elkhart, IL. Approximately 25.43 

acres of right of way would be required. An undetermined number of trees would be 

removed. There would be no in-stream work. 

The environmental survey request limits or polygon includes a mix of non-native 

grasslands, degraded native prairie remnants and patches of scrub-shrublands. Most if 

not all of the right-of-way is maintained by either the UPRR or the IDOT. 

Section 7(a)(2) – Endangered Species

We reviewed the US Fish and Wildlife Service list of federally endangered, threatened, 

proposed, and candidate species and proposed and designated critical habitat for 

species and habitat that may be present within Logan County, Illinois, at 

http://www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered/lists/illinois-cty.html. The Indiana bat and the 

eastern prairie fringed orchid are listed—see attached USFWS species’ county list. 

There is no critical habitat designated for either species in Logan County. 

Indiana bats forage along small stream corridors with well developed riparian woods and 

in adjoining upland forests. Males and non-reproductive females use caves, mines, 

bridges, and artificial roosting structures as well as trees for daytime roosts during the 

summer. Maternity colonies primarily roost beneath slabs of exfoliating bark on dead 

trees, but also have been found beneath the shaggy bark of live hickories and oaks, and 

in tree crevices. Appendix 2: Rangewide distribution records for Myotis sodalis, in the 

Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) Draft Recovery Plan: First Revision (2007), lists no extant 

maternity colony for Logan County, Illinois.

In Illinois, suitable summer habitat is considered to have the following characteristics

within a 0.5-mile radius of a project site: 1) forest cover of 15% or greater; 2) permanent 

water; 3) potential roost trees with 10% or more peeling or loose bark (USFWS 2010). 

Memorandum

Thomas C. Brooks
Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) High Speed Rail project – Elkhart siding

Elkhart, IL to Broadwell, IL (MP 161 to 171)

Logan County

Sequence number 17551

Page 2

An undetermined number of trees would be removed to construct the proposed 

improvements. The locations of tree removals are unknown at this time. In order to 

minimize the potential for impacts to the Indiana bat the project sponsor would commit to 

clearing trees while the Indiana bat is hibernating, September 30 through April 1. With 

implementation of this conservation measure, the proposed improvements are not likely 

to adversely affect the Indiana bat.

Eastern prairie fringed orchid is a plant of open-canopied mesic to wet prairies and 

wetlands. In Illinois, this plant has been nearly exterminated from all but the northeastern 

part of the state (Herkert 2002). Although there are wetlands and prairie remnants within 

the limits of the proposed improvement, those habitats are degraded and are not suitable 

for the eastern prairie fringed orchid—see under heading Prairie below. We conclude

that the proposed project will have no effect to the eastern prairie fringed orchid. 

17 Ill. Adm. Code Part 1075 – Endangered and Threatened Species and Natural Areas

We screened the proposed improvement using a geographic information system, digital

air photography, digital soils information, the Illinois Natural Heritage Database data, the 

National Wetlands Inventory and the updated National Wetlands Inventory for Illinois. 

The preceding geographic information and best professional judgment were used to 

identify the potential for presence of protected resources within and in the vicinity of the 

proposed improvements and to determine the need for on-site surveys.

We saw no recent element of occurrence representations (eorep) for State-listed 

threatened or endangered species, sites listed on the Illinois Natural Areas Inventory (np, 

inai) located within the limits of the proposed improvement—see attached map of 

possible resource conflicts. In the vicinity of the proposed siding are the North Elkhart 

Hill Grove Land and Water Reserve and the Elkhart Hill Grove Nature Preserve located 

approximately 0.2 miles and 0.3 miles respectively from the existing UPRR right-of-way. 

On 11-20-2012, as part of the larger Tier 3 improvement, the IDNR effectively cleared the

siding project for compliance with Ill. Adm. Code Part 1075. 

17 Ill. Adm. Code Part 1090 – Wetlands

As part of the UPRR High Speed Rail project - Tier 3, the limits of the Elkhart siding 

improvement were surveyed for wetlands (Olsson 2012). We reviewed the Tier 3 

Wetland Delineation Report and found that the report meets the policy and procedures of 

the IDOT Wetlands Action Plan. Wetlands were identified and delineated within and in 

the vicinity of the proposed improvements according to the Corps of Engineers Wetlands 

Delineation Manual (1987) and the Regional Supplement to the Corps of Engineers 

Wetland Delineation Manual: Midwest Region, Version 2.0 (2010). 

Impacts to wetlands are unknown at this time. The project sponsor will consider location 

and design alternatives to avoid and minimize adverse wetland impacts to the extent 

practical. After the extent of impacts is determined, a Wetland Impact Evaluation (WIE) 

form will be completed and submitted to the IDOT Bureau of Design and Environment. If 

the project will avoid adverse wetland impacts, the WIE should reflect the determination 

that adverse wetland impacts will not occur. The WIE form and instructions for its 

completion are available at http://www.dot.il.gov/environment/wetlands.asp. Unavoidable 

adverse wetland impacts are subject to the applicable replacement ratios specified in 17 

Ill. Adm. Code Part 1090.50 (c)(8). 
Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) High Speed Rail project – Elkhart siding

Elkhart, IL to Broadwell, IL (MP 161 to 171)

Logan County

Sequence number 17551

Page 3

In accordance with the IDOT Wetlands Action Plan, the proposed improvements are 

Programmatic Review Actions and coordination with the IDNR is not required. 

Programmatic Review Actions are those which involve impacts to wetlands only in areas 

where construction is within existing right-of-way or in new right-of-way which is 

contiguous to the existing right-of-way and for which there is no practicable alternative

which would avoid adverse wetlands impacts.

Our review for compliance with 17 Ill. Adm. Code Parts 1075 and 1090 is valid for 

two years unless new information becomes available that was not previously 

considered; the proposed improvement is modified; or additional species, 

essential habitat, Natural Areas, or wetlands are identified in the vicinity. If the 

proposed improvement has not been implemented within two years of the date of 

this memorandum, or any of the above listed conditions develops, a new review 

will be necessary.

Prairie

As part of the UPRR High Speed Rail project - Tier 3, the limits of the Elkhart siding

improvement were surveyed for the presence of high quality prairie, per the commitment 

in the 2004 Record of Decision for the proposed Chicago-St. Louis High-Speed Rail 

project. According to Handel (2012) high quality prairie is grade C+ and above. The 

project limits were also surveyed for the occurrence of state and federal threatened and 

endangered species of plants. Survey results indicate that no high quality prairie and no 

listed threatened and endangered species of plants were located within the limits of the 

proposed improvements.

Handel (2012) delineated ten areas of moderate to low quality (grade C to D) prairie 

vegetation within the HSR Tier 3 footprint including the proposed Elkhart Siding. Sites 2, 

4, 6 and 7 are located between the UPRR tracks and the US Rt. 66 embankment. Sites 

1, 3, 5, 8, 9, and 10 are located between the UPRR tracks and adjacent farm ground. 

Limits of the ten prairie areas have been GPSd. An ArcGIS file of the prairie areas is 

also available. Impacts to prairie areas should be avoided. Areas of temporary impact 

should be graded back to the original contour and then seeded with modified IDOT Class 

4 Native Grass mix. Perennial ryegrass shall not be included in the Class 4 mix. Seed 

should be planted according to Articles 250.05 and 250.06 of the IDOT Standard 

Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction (adopted 01-01-2012). 

Commitments

 To the extent practical, the project sponsor should avoid and minimize impacts to 

prairie areas delineated by Handel (2012). Temporary impacts should be mitigated 

according to the prescription under the heading labeled Prairie. The project sponsor 

should notify the IDOT Bureau of Design and Environment as soon as unavoidable 

impacts are known. 

 No tree clearing April 1 through September 30, in order to conserve the Indiana bat. 

Attachments—USFWS species’ county list, Map of Possible Resource Conflicts

Cc: Andréa Martin

TB
County Species Status Habitat

Livingston 

Field Office to 

Contact: U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service 

Rock Island Illinois 

Field Office

1511 47th Avenue

Moline, Illinois 61265 

(309) 757-5800

e:mail 

RockIsland@fws.gov

FAX: 309-757-5807 

Indiana bat (Myotis 

sodalis)

Endangered Caves, mines 

(hibernacula); Small 

stream corridors with 

well developed riparian 

woods; upland forests 

(foraging)

Eastern prairie fringed 

orchid (Platanthera 

leucophaea)

Threatened Mesic to wet prairies 

Logan 

Field Office to 

Contact: U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service 

Rock Island Illinois 

Field Office

1511 47th Avenue

Moline, Illinois 61265 

(309) 757-5800

e:mail 

RockIsland@fws.gov

FAX: 309-757-5807 

Indiana bat (Myotis 

sodalis)

Endangered Caves, mines 

(hibernacula); Small 

stream corridors with 

well developed riparian 

woods; upland forests 

(foraging)

Eastern prairie fringed 

orchid (Platanthera 

leucophaea)

Threatened Mesic to wet prairies 

Macon 

Field Office to 

Contact: U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service 

Rock Island Illinois 

Field Office

1511 47th Avenue

Moline, Illinois 61265 

(309) 757-5800

e:mail 

RockIsland@fws.gov

FAX: 309-757-5807 

Indiana bat (Myotis 

sodalis)

Endangered Caves, mines 

(hibernacula); Small 

stream corridors with 

well developed riparian 

woods; upland forests 

(foraging)

Eastern prairie fringed 

orchid (Platanthera 

leucophaea)

Threatened Mesic to wet prairies 

Macoupin 

Field Office to 

Contact: U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service

Marion Illinois SubOffice

8588 Route 148 

Marion, Illinois 62959 

Phone: (618) 997-

3344, ext. 340

FAX: (618) 997-8961

e:mail Marion@fws.gov

Indiana bat (Myotis 

sodalis)

Endangered Caves, mines 

(hibernacula); Small 

stream corridors with 

well developed riparian 

woods; upland forests 

(foraging)

Eastern prairie fringed 

orchid (Platanthera 

leucophaea)

Threatened Mesic to wet prairies 
Biological Resoueces Review

F

Resources

esrlimits

eorep

np

inai

prairie

towns

counties

03,2006,4009,60012,8001,600

Feet

Map of Possible Resource Conflicts

BDEseq.no.:

17551

County:Logan

Date:6/10/2013